


Prince Lacroix's Revenge

by UncannyPrincess



Category: Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines (Video Game)
Genre: Attempted Kidnapping, Attempted Murder, Attempted Rape/Non-Con, Betrayal, Buddhism, Character Death, Character Turned Into a Ghost, Childbirth, Christian Character, F/M, Forbidden Love, Friends to Lovers, Ghosts, Haunted Houses, Kidnapping, Marriage, Marriage Proposal, Married Sex, Mild Gore, Minor Character Death, Multi, Newborn Children, Rating: M, Revenge, Secret Marriage, Stockholm Syndrome, Succubi & Incubi, Vampire Family, Vampire Hunters, Weddings, Werewolf Sex, Werewolves
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-01-17
Updated: 2017-12-09
Packaged: 2018-09-18 02:17:34
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 10
Words: 39,558
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9361226
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/UncannyPrincess/pseuds/UncannyPrincess
Summary: After defeating the Kuei-Jin and lacroix himself and after all he's been through. The tremere fledgling Daniel leaves LA to get away from the madness. After 3 years the fledgling returns and waiting for him is the vampire hunter yukie the two end up falling for each other even though it's forbidden. Unaware that prince lacroix is still alive and he is angry.





	1. Returning  to  LA

**Author's Note:**

> Warning: If fan characters and interspecies relationships aren't your thing I suggest not to read this story.

After freeing Heather from her ghoul submission and slavery, and killing the sheriff, Daniel watched as Lacroix's tower blew up killing the prince and wiping out the rule of Sebastian, or so he thought. Daniel was unaware that the blast didn't kill Lacroix. It injured him, but the bastard was certainly still alive. Daniel could feel it, but it probably was just his paranoia acting up. He bit his lips and walked away, leaving the city. "Hey, kid! Wait up! We could use someone like you!" Nines called out, reaching a hand out to place on his shoulder.  
Daniel cut him off and flipped him the bird, leaving the city entirely. Nines and the Anarchy gang just watched him leave, flabbergasted and shocked by what just happened.

*3 years later*

Daniel returned to LA in search of his friend Yukie. He had to admit he had grown fond of the vampire hunter and wished to see her again. That is, if she forgave him for leaving her for three years straight. Taking the train back, Daniel covered his face and hurried off to his stop. Not paying attention to where he was going, he bumped into a young woman that was carrying a bag of groceries. The young woman yelped as she hit the floor cracking her eggs and spilling the bags contents that she was carrying.

''Miss, I am so sorry. Here. I'll pay for that…wait…" Daniel could smell her. He could smell the blood that ran through her veins, her shampoo and something metal….and a light perfume. It was her. "Yukie!" Daniel cried happily, picking the small Japanese woman up carefully to not break her bones with his supernatural strength.

Yukie giggled. "It's nice to see you again too, Daniel," she replied back.

He set her back down, and she adjusted her clothing and coat, but frowned at the now ruined groceries on the pavement. It started to snow, and Yukie shivered. "Again, sorry about ruining your dinner. I can pay for it. I really mean it," Daniel said, digging in the back of his back pants pocket to find his wallet.

Yukie waved him off. "Don't bother. I didn't pay for them. The old man a few blocks down at the grocery store gave them to me for free for helping him walk his dog when he was sick with a stomach bug," Yukie replied back.

Daniel was relieved, but he still felt bad for the groceries, though. He was struck with an idea. "Hey, I know you are probably heading home, but before you go, do you want to go get a bite to eat? My treat," he offered.

Yukie smiled. "Sure. I'd love that, but you can't eat…." Daniel burst out laughing, making Yukie raise an amused eyebrow. The vampire huntress crossed her arms. "Nani ga son'nani omoshiroidesu ka (meaning what's so funny?) What's so funny?" She asked.

Daniel wiped a bloody tear from his eyes. "Nothing. I know I can't eat, but I sure do miss the taste. Besides, I love the smell of food, especially freshly baked bread," he replied.

Yukie nodded. "Okay, but what if someone sees you not eating and offers you some food?" She asked.

"I'll just eat it and pretend I'm eating, but in actuality, I'm just going to throw it up when I get home," Daniel confessed.

''That makes sense," Yukie replied back. Taking his arm in hers, she smiled at him.

Daniel smiled back, but he couldn't get over how beautiful she had grown in the past 3 years. Her beautiful skin was clear as a sunny day, and her cheeks were a hint of rosy pink from the cold. Her hair had grown down to her shoulders, and she wore it in a ponytail today. "Nanika ga mondaidesu ka? Is there something wrong?" Yukie asked.

Green eyes met gold and Daniel swore he almost felt his heart beat again. "Nothing. I just got lost in thought..." Daniel began.

Before Daniel could finish speaking, a halo of Brunette hair tickled his neck. The young huntress had lovingly placed her head on his shoulders. "You know I missed you a lot, right? It really hurt when you just got up and left without saying goodbye for three years straight. I thought I'd never see you again," she admitted.

Daniel felt his heart break hearing that. Pulling her close in a hug, he kissed the top of her forehead, surprising both himself and her. "I'm sorry...I don't know what possessed me to do that…" He yelped.

Yukie rested her head on his chest. "It's fine, really. I don't know if you feel the same, but I really like you, Daniel, and I mean I like-like you," she confessed.

If Daniel was still alive, his cold dead heart would have jumped for joy. "Yukie, I'm touched… Yes, the feeling is mutual. I like you too," he replied back.

The mortal woman smiled, but then yelped when a strong wind came by and swept her pink hat from her head, taking it with it. "Just great. That was a friend's hat. Stephanie is going to kill me," she groaned. Daniel swept her up bridal style, causing her to yelp and giggle. "Daniel, what are you doing?" She asked, amused.

"Hey, the wind might have taken your hat, but I'm taking you out of the cold before you get sick. I'd feel horrible if you got frostbite and I didn't do anything to help," Daniel replied back.

No one was nearby, so Daniel used his vampiric speed to head towards the restaurant. Before Yukie could register what just happened, they were already at the small restaurant. It was a cozy little place that served Italian themed foods, pastries, and a decent cup of coffee.

"Here we are: Luigi's Mansion," Daniel announced, setting her down.

"Wow, you got us here fast. I didn't know your kind could move that fast. I heard about it in vampire lore, but I thought it was a myth," Yukie replied, astonished. "Also, it's Luigi's Cottage."

Daniel shrugged, and he stretched his neck and back. "Well, better you ride me then a bus," he replied back. Yukie's eyes widened, and Daniel realized what he just said. "Oh, my God . That came out wrong. I didn't mean it like that. I'm sorry!" He sputtered.

This only made the Japanese woman laugh hysterically, causing her to fall over. It took a couple of minutes for her to calm down and get herself together. "You know, you're really cute when you're flustered, but please. Shikashi kudasai. Work on rephrasing things. If I were a strange woman, I'd mace you in the face, especially if I don't know you. That came off a tad creepy," she replied back.

Daniel chuckled nervously. Taking his hand, the couple walked into the restaurant. A very friendly waitress smiled at them when they walked in. "Hello, Yukie. The usual for today… Oh, you brought a friend. Is he your boyfriend?" She asked. Yukie blushed.

"Diana, please. You're embarrassing me," Yukie groaned, and that made the older woman giggle.

"Alright. I'm sorry, dear. You two enjoy your meals. I have a booth ready for you guys already. Business finally just eased up now. Earlier, it was so hectic, it seemed like everyone and their mother was here," Diana said as she led them to a small cozy red booth in the corner.

Thanking her, the two set down. A plus size waitress frantically ran by, nearly tripping on the nice red carpet on the floor. Out of breath from rushing from table to table to satisfy and food rude and hungry customers. "Hello, sir and madam. What can I get for you today?" The waitress asked. "Oops. I'm sorry. My name is Jessica. I'll be your server today. Please forgive me. This is my first day on the job…" Jessica said apologetically.

"It's fine really, miss. We understand," Daniel replied back. The waitress was so busy fumbling around for the menus that when she finally took them out, her eyes met his. Daniel used his vampiric charm on her, and the woman blushed. "Hey, my boss would kill me, but I could get you both a discount…" She offered.

Daniel smiled. He tilted his head, giving her a seductive but mysterious look, his gold eyes shining faintly. "We would love that, dear. Please do," he purred. The waitress looked both ways before taking out a pen and using the machine nearby to cut the price in half.

Yukie raised an eyebrow, but Daniel just smirked at her. He was using seduction on her, and it was working like a charm. The waitress was wrapped around his little finger. After settling everything, the waitress took their orders. Yukie ordered a small salad and a pizza, while Daniel ordered a creamy mushroom soup. He had to fake drinking, so he just ordered a water, while Yukie had ordered a cherry cola. The waitress promised to be back with their orders soon, and she quickly scurried off.

"You're pretty smooth with the ladies," Yukie commented.

"Nothing really. Well, only with my powers, I am." Daniel added, picking at his nails.

"So, how have you been lately?" Yukie asked.

"Nothing much. Just traveling around, doing some sight-seeing…" Daniel answered back.

The waitress came back, and placed their drinks down. "Here you go, sir and madam. Your food will be out shortly." At that, the waitress ran off again.

The two sat and chatted awhile before the food came. Several minutes later, the waitress placed their food down and asked if they would like anything else.

When she saw they were satisfied, she went off to serve other customers. Daniel frowned. Smelling the butter and seasonings and cooked vegetables brought memories of being a child, and coming home from school hungry and exhausted when he was a child. Being a vampire gave eternal life, but also took away the ability to enjoy human food. He had tried to eat human food once. He remembered wasting his money on a hot dog. It smelled delicious, of course, but when he bit into it and tried to chew it, it felt like he was eating sand. It was disgusting, and not sweet and savory like blood was. There was nothing he could do about it, though. It was all part of the curse. They ate in silence while he forced himself to swallow the soup. After they finished eating, Daniel paid for everything and left out with Yukie.

It was snowing hard outside, and they had no choice but to take the cab back. Yukie insisted that Daniel stay the night with her, and he tried to refuse, but in the end, Yukie won.

*30 minutes later *

Yukie led Daniel to her small but cozy apartment. She laughed to herself. Here she was, a vampire hunter, allowing the creatures she hunted into her home. He could easily overpower her, snap her neck, and drink her blood like an ice-cold tea on a hot summer's day. She no longer saw Daniel as a threat, though. She had come to love him, and even in his current state, she had fallen for this creature of the night.

Unlocking the apartment door, Yukie spun around. "Hōmusuītohōmu. Home sweet home," She sighed contently, kicking off her shoes.

Daniel looked around. "Nice place you got, here. It's nice and cozy," he complimented.

"Thank you," Yukie replied, taking her coat off and getting up to hang it.

Daniel couldn't help but notice her curves through her sweater dress. Yukie definitely wasn't a teenage girl anymore. "Hey. I'm going to go take a shower. Will you be okay out here by yourself?" She asked. "OR are you just here to watch me take a shower?" She joked. Daniel nearly stuttered. Yukie giggled. "Relax, I'm just joking with you. You can bathe, right?" She asked. He nodded yes. "I didn't know that. I thought water hurts vampires. I read that in vampire lore…." But before she could finish Daniel cut her off.

"Not everything in vampire lore is true, Yukie," Daniel replied, chuckling. Humans and their silly vampire entertainment. If only they knew crosses and water didn't hurt vampires at all. In fact, Daniel was Catholic before his embrace, and enjoyed a nice relaxing bubble bath from time to time.

"Video games are right here, and you can sit and watch TV, or whatever you like. I promise I'll be right back," Yukie promised before leaving to go bathe herself.

Daniel awkwardly sat on the couch and flipped on the TV. Nothing was on today but crappy romance movies and Spanish soap operas. Sighing, he turned the TV off and looked around the place. He jumped when he felt something rub itself against his legs. Looking down, Daniel saw the culprit. There, rubbing itself against his leg, was an adorable chubby Tabby kitten. Daniel smiled. The kitten purred while circling him. "Hi there, buddy. You're cute. I'm sorry, but I don't have any snacks for you," Daniel said kneeling down to pet the pudgy beast.

The kitten meowed and jumped up on him, trying to climb his leg to rest on his chest. Daniel laughed and gently scooped the kitten up. Going over to the couch the vampire sat down to play with the kitten. Several minutes later, Yukie stepped out, drying her hair off, and saw the two playing together. She smiled. "I see you met Oscar. He really likes you. Usually he's shy, and doesn't come up to anyone but me," Yukie commented.

Oscar purred happily in Daniel's lap, curling up in a tiny ball to sleep. Yukie went over and sat next to him. Now, Daniel was totally fine with people sitting next to him, but when he noticed what she was wearing, he tensed up. Yukie wasn't wearing anything provocative. It was nothing too serious, but she did put on a shirt that was way too big on her frame, and you could easily see the outline of her breasts. Of course, not every woman slept in their bras. She was a C cup, and it took every ounce of self-control he had not to stare. Oscar made an irritable hissing noise when Daniel shifted, and he hopped off his lap onto his owner's instead to fall asleep. (Sorry there, buddy,) Daniel thought to himself.

"Hey, are you feeling alright? You've been jumpy all day," Yukie asked.

(If I come clean to her about the truth, she'll probably hate me and think I'm a pervert, but if I just keep playing it off, she'll know something is up,) Daniel thought to himself. Yukie was concerned for his health. Well, his overall well-being. Vampires couldn't get sick. He sighed, and he decided to tell her the truth.

Once again, Yukie burst out laughing and accidentally snorted. Covering her mouth, she apologized. "Eww, sorry about that. That's so ugly and nerdy. I'll go change if it makes you uncomfortable," she offered.

Daniel shook his head no. "No, this is your home. You are allowed to parade around in whatever you like… I… I just don't want you to think I'm some type of pervert or a freak," he muttered.

"I wouldn't wear anything like this in front of a man if I wasn't comfortable with him," Yukie assured him. The mortal reached up to give him a peck on the forehead.

Daniel was relieved, but suddenly, a wave of nausea hit him like a deer jumping in front of an oncoming vehicle. Gently pushing her away, he sprinted to the bathroom, vomiting up the food he ate. Yukie winced. She hated hearing people throw up. It's not like it was getting her sick, but it still made her cringe.

Several minutes later, Daniel emerged from the bathroom, looking tired and drained. "You must be hungry," Yukie noticed.

Daniel just nodded his head weakly. He had totally forgot to bring blood packs with him, like a moron. He internally kicked and screamed at himself for being so foolish. "I'll be back soon, Yukie. I'm going to go hunting," Daniel said. Yukie wasn't going to have any of that. He tried to head out, but she blocked the doorway. "Come on, Yukie. This isn't funny. Move out of the way. Please. I don't want to get so hungry that I'll frenzy. I don't want to hurt you or anyone else. Especially you…" He said softly.

The huntress stubbornly placed her hands on her hips. "Well, if you are hungry, just feed off me," she offered.

"What?" Daniel asked as if he were hard of hearing.

"Chotto anata wa watashi o kikimashita. Hey, you heard me. Just listen. I'll let you feed from me. You don't have to go out hunting tonight. You can eat me instead, and not in the way you think. Sorry if this sounds awkward, but it's nothing but bums outside. And, to be honest with you, I'm curious what a vampire bite feels like," Yukie added.

Daniel blinked, and it took him a while to comprehend everything she just said. "Yukie, are you really sure it's alright?" He asked.

"Yes, Daniel. It's fine, but don't turn or drain me. If you kill me, I'll hunt you and kick your undead butt!" She threatened, but there was a playful undertone in the threat.

Daniel fidgeted. "Okay, but hold still. I promise this will only hurt a little bit." He warned. Yukie let him take hold of her, and he tilted her neck, finding her artery. He bit down. Yukie tensed up, but he rubbed her hair to calm her down. The human slowly relaxed. Suddenly, a euphoria of pleasure hit Yukie like a ton of bricks. Never in her life had she felt this good. She wasn't a drug user, and never would be. She had an exception: an ex-boyfriend that loved smoking weed, and it stunk up the place horribly. This was absolute heaven, though. No drug could top this.

*Daniel's p.o.v*

I almost saw stars. Yukie tasted heavenly as the warm blood filled my mouth and slid down my throat. I admired her even more. My love and friend tasted of the finest gourmet chocolate money could buy. She tasted of expensive caramels and glazed strawberries, and when I felt her pulse start to falter, I stopped, licking the wound closed. The young woman laid tiredly in my arms, woozy and pleasure-ridden.

I cleaned the rest of the blood from her neck and gently placed her in her bedroom, which, to my surprise, was cute and girly. Everything a Japanese girl would have in her bedroom, from plushies, to makeup, and tons of anime figurines and manga. I recognized a few series: Bleach, Naruto, Gabriel Dropout, Fullmetal Alchemist, and Chibi Vampire.

Laying her on her bed, I tucked her in and sat at the computer desk nearby. I was not going to get in next to her, because that would be horrible if she woke up and saw me next to her. She might think I've taken advantage of her, and that would be a horrible misunderstanding. I sat and watched her resting while I waited for her to wake up.

Meanwhile

*Deep in the Woods*

An injured blonde man pulled himself out of a river. He looked at the skies, and cursed every God he could think of. Was this what he got for trying to make a difference in this cruel world? The man was no other than the ex-prince of LA: Prince Sebastian Lacroix. His body ached, and he bled from a deep wound on his stomach. Wincing, he covered the big gash with hand to try to stop the bleeding. He needed blood ASAP, but just not any blood. Ventures only could drink the finest quality of blood, whether it be from the rich, upperclassmen, or royalty themselves. Anything beneath that would cause them to vomit everything back up. Suddenly, he heard footsteps and a couple of heartbeats.

"Just in time for lunch…" Lacroix thought to himself. How convenient. He sniffed the air. It was two German men going camping. Maybe this was a streak of luck. Not for the mortals, but for himself that is.

"Hey, Gunther. I'm going to go use the bathroom. You go set up the tent, yeah," the first man commanded.

His friend smiled, hitching a big bag of camping supplies on his back. "Okie dokie. I'll have it up soon, buddy," The other man replied.

Prince Lacroix watched the other man leave and then followed his friend deeper into the woods. The other man, unaware of his presence, whistled and unzipped his pants, relieving himself on a nearby tree. Lacroix scrunched his nose up in disgust, but he had to eat soon. The man heard nothing but the bushes rustle, and saw Lacroix pounce on him.

And the world suddenly went black.

To be continued.….

Edited by Darkest Nightmare's Dread


	2. Old friends and unwanted company

*Prince Lacroix's p.o.v*

I moaned, tearing my fangs into the other man's neck. The sweetness of his blood was mild at first, and then had a slight spice to it that made me nearly drain him dry. I had to use every fiber of self-control not to just drain him completely. I may be a monster, but I will never behave like such. I have standards, after all. When I pressed my fingers to his neck, I felt his pulse falter and stopped drinking. Licking the wounds I afflicted on him, I watched them heal over instantly. I dragged him to the trail where his friend would find him. I made it look as if he had tripped and fallen and disappeared off into the night.

I don't know whether this was a miracle, or some kind of a cruel trick of fate. Still, I survived the blast. The blast had flung me from the window, and I landed in a lake. The trauma had put me in a torpor for 3 years, and my body had floated down the lake. Some campers found my body later on and buried it, thinking I was dead. The only injuries I had suffered from the whole incident were a few broken bones and some burn wounds, but other than that, I was fine once I recovered from the blast.

That Daniel, that cursed Judas of a fledgling tried to kill me! After everything I've done for that damn tremere bastard, he attempts to kill me… I should have killed him when I had the chance. I ruined my entire unlife and career as prince of L.A. I ground my teeth together angrily, just thinking about that pile of tremere filth. All the other kindred believe I am dead now, but that is fine. I'll just have to rise back to the top again. My ghoul Mercurio probably is already dead, or has found a new master by now. I lost my sheriff, too. I was all alone forever in this world, but I promised myself I would regain my throne.

Walking from the woods, I saw a semi-truck approaching. Hitchhiking was beneath me, but it was snowing, and I needed to find proper shelter, or at least an abandoned house to sleep in before the sun came up. Stepping where the driver could see me, I flagged the person driving down. To my luck, the truck slowed down, rolling the window down. I almost cringed. There, sitting in the driver's seat, was an obese woman who sported an itchy looking sweater and an uncomfortable looking winter coat. Her hair was a heap of messy brunette hair, and in my opinion, it looked like a bird had made its nest on her head. She wore her makeup so heavy that it made prostitutes look like beauty gurus. The woman smiled at me, looking me up and down. "Hmmmm. You're a bit raggedy and dirty, but you're the most attractive looking bum I've ever seen." The woman commented

I almost cocked my head back. Bum? Bum? I may be a bit disheveled right now, but I'm certainly no filthy street crawler. If I was not in need of a ride to town, I would have dismissed the woman. Ignoring her previous comment, I cleared my throat and smiled at her politely. "Miss, I need a ride to town. If it isn't much to ask, do you mind dropping me off at L.A.?" I asked.

The woman bit her dry cracked lips. "Sure. For such a cutie like you. I'm willing to give you a ride to pleasure town as well," the lady replied back, winking her overly mascara-applied eyelashes at me.

I felt the blood I had drunk earlier trying to force itself back up, but I forced it back down. One hideous woman was not worth losing any blood. I needed all the blood I could get right now. "Thank you, Miss…. Um…" I trailed off.

The woman laughed a hearty laugh and slapped me on the shoulder playfully. "Martha. The name's Martha, but you can call me Marty for short," she replied back. I forced a smile. Unlocking the door, the woman let me in.

Climbing in, I frowned. The truck reeked of cheap cigarettes and nacho cheese-flavored Doritos. As a Venture, I was not used to the lower quality of living, especially among Mortals. Turning on the radio to some obnoxious country music, Martha drove off. I internally groaned. (What did I just get myself into?) I thought to myself.

*4 hours later*

*Daniel's p.o.v*

It had just turned 10 o'clock at night, and Yukie was still asleep, so I decided to take a quick bath and freshen myself up. I'm sure she wouldn't mind. Leaving her room, I quietly crept into the bathroom. Throwing my dirty clothes in the washer, I pulled out some clean clothes from my duffle bag, and placed them neatly on the bathroom sink. Borrowing a few towels from the linen closet, I ran myself a bath and waited for the tub to fill up. Once the tub was filled, I stepped in, feeling the pressure and aches from my muscles being soothed from the hot bath.

It was invigorating, and was just what I needed. I closed my eyes, enjoying the warm bath. After a while, I started to bathe myself, but I felt I suddenly felt uncomfortable for some reason, like something was watching me or something. I decided to shrug it off. It was probably just paranoia and my imagination playing tricks on me.

I was unaware of the apparition sitting on the toilet. The ghostly woman watched with adoration. I suddenly felt a very cold hand on back rubbing in slow circles. "Daniel… Daniel," a voice whispered.

"Sire, is that you?" I asked. (No, it couldn't be. She's dead. I saw her get executed right in front of me…) I thought to myself.

I heard her chuckle. Frail hands materialized from out of thin air. Once again stroking my face affectionately. "Yes, Daniel. It is me," she answered back.

"But… but you're dead!" I replied back.

That only made her giggle again. "I may be dead in body, but my spirit isn't, my dear child. I cannot move on to the next life. There's so many things I need to finish and take care of….and one of them is you," she replied back.

A wave of pity washed over me. "I'm not keeping you from passing on, am I?" I asked in deep concern.

My Sire shook her head. "No, sweetheart. I love you, but you are one of the reasons I stick around," she admitted. "After my final death, I was afraid. So very afraid. I thought to myself, 'What would my poor child do without me?' My precious fledgling," she replied back. I smiled. "Daniel, do you hate me for turning you?" She asked, her gaze leaving mine and turning away.

"Of course not. You saved me. If it weren't for you, I would never get to live as long as I have and meet the woman of my dreams," I replied back.

Hearing that put her at ease. "Really? Oh, thank you. I'm so glad to hear that. I was afraid that you'd hate me," she confessed. I shook my head no, and she lovingly caressed my face. Tilting my head to the side, she kissed my forehead. "May you live for time indefinite, my child, and have a wonderful life I have to go but I will be back soon." She promised and at that she vanished after the encounter.

Several minutes later, I got out the tub, feeling better and rejuvenated, drying myself off and putting on my clean clothes. I heard Yukie groaning in the other room. Thinking that something may be wrong with her, I decided to go check on her. Quietly entering her room again, I let out a sigh of relief. She was fine. She was probably just reacting to the dream she was having.

I watched her chest rise up and down. She looked like an angel sleeping peacefully. I gently ran a hand down her face, admiring the way her dark chocolate curls framed her face like a Christmas wreath. Her hair swirled around her face. She looked like one of the Holy saints that were painted on the church walls that I would admire and look upon as a young boy. Her feminine curves were displayed like a painting in an art museum, and I knew I shouldn't stare, but some part of me couldn't help myself.

I admired the intricate veins running up from her carotid artery down to her neck and lower body. She was breathtaking, and I suddenly felt the strong urge to kiss her lips, but the beast inside me screamed to do much more….

I stopped myself. (I would never force myself on a woman, especially her. I could never do that to her. Not her. Especially not her!) I reasoned with myself. Reaching out, my finger traced down her body. My unholy dead flesh continued to trail down her neck and towards her breasts. I gazed at the Buddhist prayer beads around her neck. I heard Oscar jump up on the bed, getting in between me and her, and I was thankful he did. The cat meowed and rested on his mistress's chest.

I had to go outside for some fresh air. I wasn't in my right mind right now. Stepping out of her room, I wrote her a note saying I'd be back, just going for a walk. I put on my coat, not caring that I was in my pajamas. I just had to get some fresh air for a few seconds. Taking her keys, I decided to try and sneak out when I felt a gentle soft hand grab my arm. "Hey, where are you going?" She asked sleepily. I watched her rub her eyes and stretch, and once again saw the outline of her breasts.

I felt the beast again try to resurface. Oh, how I longed to touch her and take her innocence. I did not care for any other women in this world. The only thing that mattered to me in my unlife was blood, survival, and her, but I would never do anything to hurt her. "Yukie I'm going for a walk," I replied.

"You aren't hungry again, are you?" She asked.

"No, I'm not hungry for blood…." I replied honestly.

"Then what are you hungry for, then?" She asked.

I bit my lip and sucked in some air, not that I actually needed it or anything. I just tended to breathe when I get stressed out or nervous. If I were alive, my heart would be beating out of my chest. "Please don't hate me, but I'm hungry for you, and not in a good way," I trailed off, picking at my nails.

Now, Yukie wasn't dumb, and she immediately caught onto things. She could even tell when people were lying. Trust me, I'd know. We've been friends for three years, and she saw through me all the time. She even knew I was a vampire on the first day we met. "You want to have sex with me, don't you?" She asked.

I bit my lip. I winced, feeling the vitae rise from the puncture wound. Yukie looked at me in concern, and I tried to look away from her, staring at the floor as if it were the most interesting thing on God's green Earth. "Yes, I do, but I would never want to hurt you. When you were asleep, I watched you for a while. You look just like a Seraph: pure and beautiful, and nothing like me. I'm unholy, and I'm sure God is displeased that I would even dare think and desire of touching you in such a way," I confessed.

Yukie's gaze softened and she went up and wrapped her arms around my waist. Pulling me in a hug. I felt like the mother of Christ himself had blessed me, and here, one of God's children, an Angel from heaven that I did not deserve any pity in any shape or form from, was pressing her untainted living flesh against my lifeless one. "Daniel, please don't treat yourself like an abomination. You aren't a bad guy. Yes, you may be a vampire, but you are the sweetest guy I've ever met. Plus, you aren't the only man that has lusted after me," she replied back.

"You don't think I'm creepy?" I asked, shocked.

Yukie shook her head no. "It's perfectly normal to want to touch and get intimate with the person you love, and I know you would never hurt me," she replied back. I felt bloody tears roll down my face and I tried to hide it, but it was no use. She was the only person that understood me. She never used me for her own selfish gain, and she was understanding. Yukie dug in her purse that was sitting on the couch and took out her handkerchief. Unfolding it, she wiped the blood from my eyes. "Hey, don't cry everything will be alright." She promised.

After a few minutes, I straightened myself out. "Thank you," I muttered.

She smiled. "You're welcome, Daniel, and about the intimacy thing. Let's start dating for a few months, first. I just don't hand out my goodies. First, you'll have to work for it, mister. I want my first time to be enjoyable, and nothing less will do," she added.

I smiled, taking her hand. I brought her delicate hand to my lips and kissed it as if she were a real princess, and not a woman I treated like a princess. "Yes. I understood and I like that. A woman with morals is the perfect one for me, and I respect your wishes," I replied back. After a few minutes, I shifted on one leg uncomfortably. "Hey, Yukie. Can I ask you something?" I asked.

Yukie sat on the couch and picked up a Chibi Vampire manga book. Oscar came from the bedroom and jumped in her lap, purring contently. "Sure, what is it?" She asked.

I gulped but decided to ask anyways. "Why did you let me drink your blood when we first met? You were appalled at the idea at first," I asked.

She put the manga book down and sat up. "'It's because I love you, and I knew you wouldn't drain me. Plus, Oscar here doesn't like men for some reason, but he came up to you. If a cat trusts you, that just shows that you aren't a bad guy," Yukie replied back.

I just nodded. "Oh, okay," I said.

"And by the way, there's a spare key under the floor mat. No need to take my house keys," Yukie replied back.

I felt blood rush to my face. Slightly embarrassed, I tossed her her keys back and took the spare. She giggled. The washing machine buzzed, letting me know my clothes were done. I went over to put them in the dryer. After I finished handling that, I was about to step out the door, until Yukie stopped me. "You're going out in your pajamas?" She asked.

I shrugged. "Well, yeah. I don't have anything else to wear. Besides, I'm just going for a walk. I'll be right back, I promise," I assured her.

Yukie only gave a nod and smiled. "Be safe out there," she replied back. At that, she went back to reading her Chibi Vampire book, with Oscar sitting happily on her stomach.

I smiled. It was good to be back in LA.

Meanwhile

*45 minutes later *

*Sebastian Lacroix's p.o.v*

After almost an hour with that distasteful woman, I was dropped off by a decent looking restaurant, which was adjacent to a shopping center. I did not have any money, so I had to pick some other man's pocket. I knew it was wrong, but how else was I going to get a temporary place to spend the night?

Digging through the man's wallet, I smiled. Not only did I not feel bad at all for what I'd done, I had hit the jackpot. Inside the wallet was 400 bucks. I smirked, feeling satisfied with myself. It had to be done, without me overseeing everything both kindred and kind. Besides, without me, both kindred and kind alike would be in grave danger. After entering a small clothing store, I purchased a few pairs of pants, shirts, and some brand-new shoes and socks. "Whoa, buddy! You look like you've been stuck on some random tropical island for a few years!" The store owner said, ringing up my items and then handing me my bags.

I shook my head. "Times have been tough. Really, really tough," I replied back.

"Ain't that the truth," the man said.

He bid me a goodnight and I went out to change into my new clothing. I decided to enter a small cafe that was nearby, and from the corner of my eye, I saw a gold limo pull up. I froze, my eyes widened.

Stepping out of the limo stood my older cousin William Lacroix. He was dressed sharp, as always, and his red hair glistened in the moonlight. His glasses were promptly pushed back up his nose with two elegant slender fingers, and he walked regally to the small café, followed by his daughter Maria, who was dressed in the most finest blue silk dress that money could buy. Her hair was pinned up today, and she wore a beautiful headdress of pearls. She, too, was also sporting the finest jewelry.

I watched her proudly stroll behind her father. Next came the three triplet ghouls who belonged to my cousin. They sported messy buns, and they all looked like young librarians. I almost turned my nose up in disgust. How could my cousin just let his ghouls come out looking like they work at a high school? Then again, he was never the type to force them to wear expensive outfits if they didn't want to. As long as they were presentable in his eyes, everything was just fine. I watched the three triplet blondes chat noisily amongst themselves as they followed their master and mistress inside. Lastly, I saw was Mercurio. He wore his regular clothing that he had worn when I was his master, but for some reason, he looked happier. The mortal wore the stupidest goofy grin on his face that I have ever seen, and keep in mind that I never saw Mercurio smile this much. The man was basically on cloud nine. I saw him gently help a pregnant Jamaican woman out of the limo, followed by two older men and one other woman.

It took me a while to realize that he had married and started a family in my absence, something he was never able to do under me.

Mercurio looked proudly among his family. I watched him converse with his older children, who grabbed their mother's purse and went inside the restaurant. Mercurio took his wife's hand and kissed it. The woman blushed and playfully swatted his chest while Mercurio gazed at her lovingly. The woman was beautiful in appearance, with her dark skin and coffee brown eyes. She looked a bit like Morticia from the Adams family, except she wore happy looking colors instead of black. The woman wore a long lace peach colored dress, and wore a white floral church hat. She also had a gorgeous pearl necklace and a beautiful wedding ring to match on her hands. I could -see why my ex-ghoul was so proud. This woman was to die for.

Mercurio offered her his arm. The woman smiled and hooked her arm with his before descending inside the café. I was so curious, yet livid that I was replaced, and the fact that Mercurio definitely was not mourning my absence. Still, I did not want them to know I was watching or stalking them, so I decided to leave quickly before I was spotted. I clenched my fists angrily digging my nails in my palm until I drew blood. That Daniel punk was certainly going to pay.

Meanwhile

*At the last round*

Nines sat bored, staring out the window. Ever since Daniel left and Lacroix died, things had been pretty boring around town. He gulped down his drink, only to spit it out when he spotted Daniel outside the window. (It can't be,) Nines thought to himself, but on further investigation he was correct. It was definitely Daniel. At that he threw his mug down and rushed outside. "HEY, KID!" He yelled out.

Daniel stopped walking and looked at him. "Not you again…" he groaned.

To be continued…

Edited by Darkest Nightmare's Dread


	3. Chapter 3

The younger vampire saw me coming, and quickly whirled around trying to get away from me. A look of annoyance spread across his face. "Aw, come on. Don't be like that, kid. I just want to talk!" I called out.

Daniel gave me a death glare, but to me, it just looked like an adorable kitten sizing up a pit bull. "I thought I made myself clear last time," He snapped. "I am done with your politic schemes. Done being used as a pawn for all your games. I already took care of Lacroix and the Kuei-Jin for you. Don't you have this city to handle, now that the Camarilla has been kicked out?"

I smirked and stretched, cracking a few bones in my neck. "See, that's where you're wrong, kiddo," I replied back. Daniel stopped walking and looked at me, raising an eyebrow. "Things have changed while you were gone God-knows-where. After your departure, the Camarilla did some damage control and put a new prince to power. To add insult to injury, they picked Lacroix's cousins."

"Lacroix had a cousin?" Daniel asked, surprised.

I grinned. "As I said, things have changed while you were away. If you come inside and have a couple of drinks, I'll tell you all about it," I said back.

Daniel seemed to hesitate for a moment, but then nodded. "Fine, I'll come. But don't think for a second you can convince to join the Anarch," he said. At first, the younger man was hesitant but eventually gave in and followed me inside. The once noisy laughter, cursing, and chatting soon ended when Daniel and I walked in.

It was so quiet that you could hear a pen drop, and suddenly, everything went to hell when Damsel stood up. "What is he doing here?" She hissed. Some other vampires got up from their chairs and began to leave, while others that were nosy and curious watched to see what would happen.

The ghouls whispered amongst each other. Daniel wasn't fazed, though, and neither was I. Damsel was always prone to anger, and I've gone quite used to her constant nagging and explosive fits of anger. "It's nice to see you to again, Damsel. I see you're still grumpy," Daniel said. The kid gave my wife one of his award-winning smiles.

Like a bull seeing a red tarp, that set Damsel off again. Skelter once again slinked off to God-knows-where. That kid has been doing that a lot lately. He never tells us where he's going. He sometimes makes the excuse that he's out hunting, but Damsel and I know damn well that that isn't the truth. Damsel is my wife, and Skelter is like a brother to us both. I've been telling her that Skelter has been running off lately. At first, she didn't care, but it's been getting worse.

I blocked out the bickering between the two Cainites, and Damsel looked over where Skelter once was sitting. "Skelter, can you believe this punk?" She asked. Suddenly, it dawned on her that Skelter was not there to reply. "Sheesh, not again!" Damsel groaned. Getting up, she left to go find our friend, leaving me and Daniel free to chat amongst each other.

"Well, looks like it's just you and me, kid," I said. Daniel wasn't paying attention. He was busy looking out the window at someone or something. I snapped my fingers in his face to get his attention. "Yoohoo, kid. Earth to Daniel," I said out loud.

He snapped out of the trance he was in and looked at me. "Okay, so now what? Tell me everything that has been going on since I left," Daniel ordered.

I smiled. "Sure. After a few drinks," I promised.

He nodded. (Good. So far, so good,) I thought to myself. Over a couple of mugs of the best blood in town, I told the kid everything.

Meanwhile

* Damsel's p.o.v *

I drove around town looking for our friend, and I grew even more agitated every second. (Where could he have gone?) I thought to myself.

He was such a little brat! But he was our little brat. I swear, if someone were to hurt him, there would be hell to pay! After a few minutes, and just as many rants in my mind, I finally found him in the middle of an alley with a young gangrel girl behind him. I almost hopped out of the car, but I decided not to. I hoped he wasn't trying to hurt her or something, unless the little bitch did something to him. In that case, then she deserved to get smacked around.

I decided to do a little eaves-dropping and pulled up to the side, pretending to be a kine parking at their apartment while I secretly listened to their conversation. "Hey!" Skelter chirped happily.

The short, plus-sized gangrel pouted and crossed her arms. "Not you again!" She groaned.

"Hey, please don't be like that. I really like you, and I'm just asking for … you know … um… a chance! Yeah, a chance," Skelter replied back.

The brunette gangrel raised an eyebrow, blowing a strand of her out her face. She spoke with a Chicago accent, and I had to admit, no lesbo, but she was very cute. I could see why Skelter liked her so much. "Look. You're a nice guy and all, and very cute. But… I'm already with somebody, you know. I'm married.…" The gangrel replied. She looked down and picked at her nails, caring less that the other gangrel standing over her.

"But… um ...are you like happily married?" Skelter asked.

I almost face palmed. It almost physically hurt, seeing how desperate Skelter was acting right now. (Come on, Skelter. Don't act desperate. She's cute and all, but there's plenty of fish in the sea,) I thought to myself.

The gangrel pushed him away. "Look, please don't make this difficult, Skelter, and don't be so loud. I don't want my husband to hear us," she said back.

I could literally feel the tension building up within the air. I started to unlock the car door to step in and intervene, but stopped when I heard a loud howl. Stepping from the shadows stood a 7 ft. tall werewolf. If my heart could still beat, it would have stopped, and my blood would have gone cold. There stood a rugged military dressed man. He looked like the character Snake from Metal Gear Solid, and he had tattoos of dragons and all sorts of stuff on his arms reaching up to his neck. The dude literally screamed badass, and for the first time in my unlife, I actually felt fear. Rushing out the car. I stepped out in front of them, blowing my cover, and surprising Skelter and the other gangrel. The werewolf could care less, though. He was rough and magnificent, and he reeked of expensive cologne. "Amber, who are these people friends of yours?" The werewolf asked.

Amber ran up to him and wrapped her arms around his waist. It looked like a child hugging a large teddy bear, considering the height difference between them. "No, they aren't. Just a few acquaintances of mine. Nothing serious," Amber replied back. The werewolf said nothing but nodded, satisfied with her answer. He picked his wife up bridal style and looked back at us, turning his nose up at us in the process. I could have sworn I heard him mutter filthy corpses under his breath. I believe that was the case because Amber smacked his chest, putting him in his place. "Be nice, Frank," she whispered.

Frank looked down at her lovingly, but scowled at her. "You folks have a good night. Try not to get any sun, you hear? " He said, flicking some dirt at us. At that, he walked away holding his wife, leaving us both in an awkward silence.

I suddenly felt a wave of anger wash over me, and the beast inside me screamed to be let out. "You… you followed us. Why?" Skelter asked.

Hearing that, I just burst out laughing. "Why? Why you ask? To check on you, idiot. All this time, you've been sneaking out to try and win over some fat gangrel chick?!" I hissed.

Skelter was appalled. "She isn't fat! She's plus size…" he corrected.

That only made the situation ten times funnier. "Well, whatever she was. Why didn't you stop trying to hook up with her once you smelled the werewolf on her?" I asked.

Skelter, of all people just shrugged. "I was hoping… you know… to get her to … to divorce him or something. I thought he forced her to marry him," Skelter explained.

Honestly, this had to one of the most dumbest things I had ever heard. It was obvious that the other gangrel was happily married to the guy. Skelter knew that, or was probably in denial about the whole situation. I was so angry that I said something that I shouldn't have. "You know, Skelter, for someone as smart as you to do something like this… If that werewolf would have killed you for macking on his girl, I wouldn't even bat a lash or miss you because it would have been your own fault if you ended up dusted!" I spat.

Skelter gave me the most hurt look I had ever seen. "If that's the way you feel… Fine, then," he hissed back. At that he ran off.

"Skelter, I'm sorry! I didn't really mean that!" Of course, he was too far away to hear that. It started to snow, and I cursed to myself. "He's just upset, but he'll be back," I told myself. Getting into the car, I drove back to the Last Round.

Meanwhile

Screams of agony and pain filled the air. The Sabbat stood in a circle laughing cruelly as they took turns waterboarding a female camarilla ghoul. The blonde thrashed about and screamed as water filled her face once again, taking away the ability to breathe. Her legs stung badly from the physical abuse she received a few hours ago. "Now, you little bitch. Ya finally going to spit it out, or do we have to introduce you to Mr. Faucet again? You seem to really enjoy water," the ugly nosferatu mocked, scratching his horribly disfigured face, popping a few blister boils in the process. The man had a sunken face and boils covered his entire body. His jaw was crooked and his teeth were sharp and jagged. He sported a fine leather jacket and pants, and he wore a black turtleneck with black boots. He was the leader of the group, and not only was he uglier than sin, but he had the personality to match.

"Yeah, what boss said!" Chirped a dirty looking gangrel.

"Shut up, Steven!" The nosferatu spat.

The gangrel shut right up and slinked away on all fours. The other vampires said nothing. "Now where was I? Oh, yeah. Back to this little Camarilla rat," The nosferatu said, chuckling once more. The girl screamed again until the door slammed open and startled them all. "What the?! This better be good! Whaddaya want?!" The nosferatu asked rudely.

"Is that how you talk to your sire's adoptive child? Hmmm, I'm sure Lucius would love to hear this," a feminine voice responded back.

Like cockroaches, the other vampires scrambled out of the room, leaving the very unlucky ghoul alone with their boss. "Ms. Eliza, please forgive me. I didn't know it was you. I thought you were a ghoul!" The nosferatu fledgling cried out.

Eliza ignored him, and descended the steps. Her beautiful gothic dark priestess robe trailed behind her, making her look like a dark peacock. Red mid-length hair framed her face in dark blood red curves. While her left eye was left open while the right was hidden behind a curtain of red hair. The woman was a lambrosa, a skilled dark priestess who enjoyed dabbling in the occult and casting the unholiest spells that were even forbidden in witch society. Her shadows carried her the rest of the way down while they dragged the nosferatu closer to her so that they came face to face. "Martin, it's been two days, and the girl still hasn't spoken a word about the secrets of the Camarilla. I cannot infiltrate Lacroix tower, and still, the artifact they have hidden there that would awaken the destructive forces of Gahenna. You promised it would be taken care of today. So far, I see little to absolutely no progress at all. Why is that?" She asked.

Martin shook from fear, and babbled unintelligently, making the lambrosa very impatient and very upset. Tired of his lack of progress, she flicked him with her shadows, throwing him against the wall like a child tired of a toy. Pursing her ruby red lips, she whistled and called for her servant Jacob. Heavy footsteps poured down the steps as a horribly disfigured zombie with a chainsaw arm hurried over to his mistress. "Jacob, honey. Do mama a favor and dispose of this trash." She said gesturing towards the ghoul. The zombie said nothing but gurgle and groaned, shaking his head as he lifted the limp ghoul up. The ghoul screamed and tried to get away, but the zombie was having none of that. Ignoring her cries and shouts to a God who would not listen, he carried him upstairs.

Eliza smiled. (The Tzimisce were creeps, but they make the best brain-dead servants,) she thought to herself putting a delicate hand to her kohl-powdered face. Suddenly an explosion occurred in the hallway, sending the zombie back flying. The ghoul was nowhere to be found.

''What the hell?" Eliza said out loud. Walking down the steps through the smoke and debris stood the true Brujah Drake, holding the ghoul over his shoulder he faced the wicked witch.

"Eliza. Long time, no see. I see that you're still hailing Satan and working with these Sabbat bastards," he said causally.

The witch was flabbergasted, but the surprise soon eased off her face, and she broke out laughing wickedly. She grinned so hard that it would have creeped out a Malkavian. "Oh, Drake," she said, still laughing. "When will you learn being the good guy never pays off. Besides, if you join us and let me kill this pitiful human, you and I can change the world. A world where we are top of the food chain, and with control of the artifact that controls day and night. We can enjoy eternal darkness forever, with the humans trembling under our feet. Just imagine it," she said.

Drake just shook his head. "Eliza, that's not the sweet girl I know that I knew in high school. It's the curse messing with your head… I remember when there was a time that you wouldn't even dare hurt a fly. Now, just look at yourself, torturing humans. That's not the Eliza I know."

"SHUT UP! YOU KNOW NOTHING ABOUT ME!" Eliza screeched loudly, but Drake took no mind to her little outburst. Hissing in anger, Eliza used her Obtenebration to turn her shadows into tentacles to attack him. She wanted nothing but to rip his cold dead heart out of his chest and feast upon it.

However, Drake was much older and wiser then the lambrosa. He has dealt with stronger vampires for years and her shadow tricks did not surprise him. Drake used Temporis to accelerate time for himself and give himself super-speed, allowing him to easily reach her and stake her in a few seconds. The lambrosa dark priestess didn't even see it coming. Unable to move and completely helpless, Eliza watched as Drake checked on the ghoul before casually strolling up to Martin, who was currently picking himself off the floor. Going over, he roughly grabbed the other man by the chin and forced him to look him in the eye. "Where is your sire?" He asked.

That just made Martin laugh. In fact, he laughed so hard, it scared the poor ghoul who was now shivering and cowering in fear in the nearby corner. "I ain't telling you nothing!" He hissed, and at that, he spat in Drake's face.

Drake sighed and cracked his knuckles. "Well, I didn't want to have to do this, but I guess violence is the only way…" he said. Getting up, he took the Nosferatu's head into his hands and squeeze so hard that his head burst like a pumpkin. Drake said nothing, looking at the vile blood and gore on his hands. Shaking his hands clean he noticed that a black mist appeared and the grim reaper herself stood before them. The other being's body turned to ash and she sighed, swinging her scythe over his remains she sent his wicked soul to hell. Drake had never seen a reaper before, but in an odd way, she was beautiful. She appeared to be a pale Asian woman in her 20s that manifested as a floating upper body and torso, and wore nothing but a tattered cloak. Of course, she welded a large scythe.

The spirit of death ignored Drake, the ghoul, and Eliza, and disappeared. She wanted nothing to do with the undead. After that, Drake swung the ghoul over his shoulder and left out, leaving Eliza stuck and to herself

Eliza chuckled internally. (Oh, Drake. You'll pay for this,) she thought to herself.

To be continued.….

Edited by Darkest Nightmare's Dread


	4. Chapter 4

Meanwhile

*Daniel's p.o.v *

It was getting late, and I really should head back. I don't want Yukie worrying about me. It's late, and I don't want her coming out to look for me. I swear LA gets more dangerous each year. These days, there's more rapists and muggers on every corner than there are prostitutes. "Hey, it's getting late. I'll need to head back home," I said, getting up and straightening myself out.

"Going to go see your lady friend?" Nines asked, smirking.

I froze. "What are you talking about?" I asked, trying to change the subject.

"Oh, don't play dumb with me, kid. I smelled a mortal woman on you when I first walked up to ya. She smells nice too, and let me guess… Asian? yup definitely Asian and Japanese." Nines added. I cursed under my breath. "So when will I get to meet this lucky girl of yours?" Nines asked downing a cup of blood.

I cocked my head back. As if he had insulted my great ancestors. "Never and she's not my girlfriend yet, but we are planning on dating soon…" I replied back.

Nines chuckled. "Then she's your girlfriend, kid, and don't act so shy. I'm sure if you woo her enough you might get lucky."

I cut him off quick. "I prefer to not think about that sort of thing right now," I said frantically, ignoring his amused but annoyed look.

"Look, kid. You're a vampire, and always will be. Better to take it from me than just to act like you are still human. I say bed her and turn her into one of us. Why care for marriage with a human? She'll die, Daniel. They always do…." Nines trailed off.

He looked away from me, and I could see the pain and hurt forming in his eyes. I don't know what came over me but I blurted out like an idiot, "Nines, why do you feel the way you do? What happened to your family?" I asked.

I saw him wince. "They died, kid. They died. They were humans. They don't live long… Look. Just be careful, okay? I don't want you getting too attached to her, because if something bad happens to her, you'll… you'll.… Never mind. I'll see you later, kiddo. Goodnight," Nines said, getting up from his seat.

I muttered a goodnight and went out. I know that Yuki is going to die someday, that was just a part of life, but I won't let Nine's negative message get to me. Walking back down the street, I caught a cab back to Yuki's apartment.

Meanwhile

*Drake's p.o.v *

The ghoul I was carrying was badly injured, and she needed medical help ASAP! Hailing a cab, I had the driver drive us to the emergency room. Luckily, even though LA was still a dump, it had better medical care and brand new hospitals, all thanks to Prince William Lacroix himself. They quickly accepted the poor girl and treated her for serious injuries. Before they asked any questions, I hurried out and left. My home was only three blocks away, so I walked home. A few shady guys were watching me, but none of them had the balls to try to mess with him. They wouldn't have gotten anything for their trouble, unless they wanted a free trip to the afterlife. They didn't attack, so I guess they weren't interested.

*30 minutes later *

I arrived at my apartment, and my grumpy elderly neighbor's cat was on the stoop, licking itself. The vile little beast caught sight of me and hissed, arching it's back, and then ran off into the night. Ignoring the critter's reaction, I walked upstairs, ignoring the drunk slouched out on the steps. I advanced upstairs further. Taking a right, finding my apartment room, I took my keys out and unlocked the door. The place looked normal, but I could sense someone was here. To the far left, I heard my shower running, and I went to investigate. The shower was indeed running. On top of that, women's clothing was strewn across the floor, while a clean blouse and some slacks rested neatly folded on the sink. There were also a few perfume bottles and a makeup bag filled with God knows what and whatever women use to paint there face on these days.

The shower stopped, and my ghoul Christina popped out. She didn't notice me at first, but when she did, she shrieked. "Drake, you scared the shit out of me! She said.

She didn't even bother to put her towel around her body. You could see everything you wanted. Her breasts were beautiful and… (Wait, why am I looking at her like that?) I thought to myself.

I quickly looked away, trying to run out of the room, but she snatched her towel up and quickly grabbed my arm. "Master didn't you miss me?" She asked playfully.

I bit my lip. "Yes, I did, but I would appreciate if you put on clothes," I replied back. I swear, she dropped the towel on purpose and let it pool around her feet. She did a little twirl, and I caught the faint smell of alcohol on her breath. "Damn it, Christina. Are you drunk?" I asked.

She giggled. "Nope!" She replied, and I shook my head. Averting my eyes once more, I stooped down and picked up the towel, thrusting it into her arms. I retreated back to my room. Thankfully, Christina took the hint and left me alone to get dressed. Several minutes later, she came out of the bathroom and tiredly crawled in bed with me. She affectionately cuddled close to me, but with me being a vampire, I could offer her no body heat.

The only heat there was the one radiating from her living body. I cared for Christina a lot, but ever since my embrace, I walked around pretending to be a Toreador, even though I was a true Brujah. Showing emotions in any shape or form was a challenge for me. We just laid there for a minute awkwardly. I reached out and played with the strands of her on her head, twirling the rich black locks and twirling her hair with my fingers. She let out a happy content sigh, and I almost smiled. "Hey, I really like you. You know that, right?" She asked.

"All ghouls like their masters. Some even obsess over them to the point it becomes unhealthy," I replied back.

She shook her head. "No, not like that. It's not because of the blood bond. I like-like you," she said, hoping I'd get the hint. I sighed and gave her a pleading look. She frowned in response. "I'm serious, Drake," she responded. Sitting back, she looked at me. ''You know I'd do anything for you, right? I want us to take things seriously, you know, and start dating. I don't want to just be your ghoul for all eternity," she confessed.

It took me a while to register what she was saying, and don't get me wrong. I love her and all, but it was hard to show it. "I know you do, Christina. I know you do," I said softly.

"So, if you love me so much, why don't you take me right here, right now? I don't mind at all, and you'd be my first…" Hearing that, I quickly cut her off, feeling amused but a bit uncomfortable. "Whoa, there. At least take me out to dinner first, kid," I said jokingly, hoping to diffuse the awkward situation. Christina gave me the saddest puppy-dog look I have ever seen. I felt like I had wronged the last person in this world I have ever loved. "Awww, don't give me that face, Christina. It makes me feel bad… Look, I'll tell you what. Let's start dating, and maybe I'll let you … ugh … touch me, but in a deeper way," I said. I almost cringed saying that. Anything that had to do with showing emotions, especially love, made me almost physically sick.

Nothing in this world mattered to me anymore, except for Christina, blood, and my Sire. They were the only women in my life that I had left… Hearing that made Christina's eyes light up like fireworks on the fourth of July. "Awesome!" She said, excitedly hugging me.

I nearly snapped my neck trying to get her from pressing her breasts against me she isn't wearing a bra. "Hey, we can cuddle after you put a bra on," I told her gently. She looked at me appalled and folded her arms like a stubborn child that was unwilling to do something. Eventually, she gave in and went to make herself more proper. I sighed. Oh, the things you did for the woman you love.….

There was a knock at the door and I heard Christina call out, "Could you get that? It could be the pizza delivery guy."

"Sure," I yelled back, and went to open the door. I froze when i saw who it was. It was definitely not the pizza guy. Shit…

"Hello, Drake. I hope you are faring well. I know that this is sudden, but I've decided to drop by for a visit." My Sire, Alexandrea Patterson, just loved to drop by for visits unexpectedly. She never tells me when she wants to come over, and I absolutely hate it.

It was nice to see each other again, though. I haven't seen my Sire in 2 years. We both just have very busy schedules, but sometimes we either speak to each other over the phone. That, or we just skype each other. Still, nothing beats talking to the ones you love in the flesh.

Alexandrea was a pale British woman with a slight muscular frame that was still feminine, but not overbearing. She had bleach blonde hair, and one of her eyes were pupils and blank. She told me she lost that eye from a fight with a few nasty Baali vampires that decided to try and kidnap her. Unfortunately for them, Alexandrea is well trained in various fighting styles including martial arts, and those devil worshippers met their final deaths that night. Her good eye was a beautiful sea green, and she wore dark colors that leaned on the gothic side. She wore all black slacks with a black t-shirt and black sneakers while her hair was in a messy ponytail. "Sire, it's nice to finally meet you again in person. I missed you." I replied back, hugging her close.

Alexandrea almost smiled but caught herself. It looked like she was a bit shocked, but she still returned the gesture. Letting her in, I locked the door behind us, and she lovingly but hesitantly pulled me close, laying my head on her chest. "You are so beautiful, Drake, and mine forever. I've wanted you since you were a young boy, and I regret these two years of us being apart. I feel like a horrible sire." She confessed.

It was hard for the both of us to show our emotions, but I have never heard Alexandrea say anything like this before. "Sire, are you sure you are feeling alright?" I asked jokingly.

She kissed the top of my head and cracked a slight smile or at least attempted to. "Yes, love. I'm absolutely fine. Come go hunting with me. It won't be long, but it's been a while since we've fed together," she offered.

I was feeling a bit hungry… "Alright, fine with me. Just let me tell Christina where I'm going…l"

Before I could finish what I was saying, Christina came from the back, looking angrier then a bull. "Who is she?" She asked, pointing to Alexandrea, who was ignoring the ghoul and browsing her phone.

"Relax, Christina. This is my sire," I replied back. Hearing that, she calmed down and I heard her sigh in relief. "Look, just stay here, okay? I'm going out hunting," I told her. She said nothing, but nodded. I could tell she was irritated that I was leaving. I swear, it was like pulling teeth trying to please women. After I said goodbye to Christina, my Sire grabbed my hand and led me out.

(So much for today…) I thought to myself.

Meanwhile

*Prince Lacroix's p.o.v *

Getting into the hotel was easy, but now the hardest part was not killing an innocent and taking a better living space. As soon as I turned on the light switch, it seemed like six generations of cockroaches scattered, hiding in fear. I grimaced. The room was no better. There was mold growing on the walls, and the paint was peeling off. The bed had all sorts of disgusting stains on it, and I didn't even want to know what was on the mattress. The only identifiable stain I saw was a huge, person-sized blood stain. It looked like someone had been brutally murdered, execution style, on it. I wouldn't put it past myself to even doubt that they at least had the decency to clean the bathroom.

Now, I know longer had to relieve myself, but I did have to bathe and brush my teeth. I certainly was not going to sleep on that filthy bed. I would rather suffer a final death. Going into the bathroom, I saw it was also disgusting, but the tub was at least decent-ish. Standing up and leaning against the tile, I closed my eyes and fell into a deep sleep.

Meanwhile

*Yuki's p.o.v *

I was starting to get worried about Daniel. I know he could take care of himself, but what if another vampire hunter got him? I don't want to even think about what I'd do if something were to happen to him. I got up from the couch, and my cat Oscar cried and tried to follow me out the door. "No, no, Oscar. Mommy will be back. I'm going to go look for your new friend," I said gently my cat attempted to snag my shirt off the couch while I was getting dressed. "Oscar, stop that. I really need to go." I gently took the shirt from him and he made the saddest cry. I felt bad, but I really needed to leave. Petting him on the head, I finished getting dressed and grabbed my keys. Locking the door, I left the building. I felt someone roughly grab my arm and I knew it wasn't Daniel because he would never handle me roughly. That man held me like a fragile glass doll. But know this person was definitely male, and certainly not him. "Hey, Yuki. Long time, no see. I see you've got a new boyfriend. Who is he?" The male asked as I tried to snatch my arm from him. His grip only tightened.

''What do you want, Eric? I said we're through!" I snapped.

The Chinese man laughed. Eric was a douchebag in his 20s who thought he was God's gift to women. He wore baggy pants and the latest shirts, and he dyed his hair blonde. The regular douchebag beanie and timberlands was his main outfit as always. He never seemed to get rid of his childish womanizing ways, and he smelled like marijuana. "Aw, come on, baby. You know I still love you, right? I know I cheated on you, but I couldn't resist that other girl. She had a body like a model, and you never let me have sex with you. You brought that on yourself. Not every other girl does the whole 'waiting for marriage' thing these days. Times have changed, and besides, what man would want you more than me? Come on, get in the car, and let's go," he commanded. His words hurt, but I was not letting him just take me without a fight.

"I mean it, Eric! I'll scream!" I threatened.

He laughed, mocking me. "Scream all you want, babe. I think it's really unfair how I can't get a second chance with you. I'm sure that guy you're with probably got a taste of you already. You always were a cutie," he said vulgarly.

I tried to push him off, but he was stronger than me. ''LET ME GO NOW! I DON'T WANT TO HEAR ANY OF YOUR NONSENSE!" I yelled. "Cheating on people isn't a weakness, it's a sign of betrayal, and if you truly loved me you'd stop this and leave me alone! How did you even find my address?" I hissed.

Eric chuckled. "Shut up, you little whore. I'm taking what's rightfully mine, whether you like it or not!" He hissed.

At that, he forcefully kissed me. I broke the kiss by headbutting him hard enough to make his nose bleed and break the kiss. That didn't seem to stop him and his hands trailed down to the buttons on my jeans. I tried to kick him, but his grip only worsened and I yelped from the pain.

Eric laughed cruelly, but stopped to wipe the blood from his nose and he smirked, but then he saw Daniel looming over him. His eyes widened in surprise, but he straightened himself out. Daniel's golden eyes narrowed angrily. "Oh, here's your boyfriend, Yuki. I hope he doesn't mind sloppy seconds," Eric taunted, trying to make Daniel mad.

In a blink of an eye, Daniel seized him by his shirt collar and tossed him hard on the ground, knocking the air from his lungs. I did nothing but watch. "So, you think it's okay to hurt women huh? You can't be normal like the rest of us men? No, you got to force yourself on women…. Oh, young man. We are going to have a fine night together… I'll make sure you never hurt another woman again, especially mine," Daniel said darkly.

The tone of his voice scared me. I have never seen him get angry before, and honestly, I was horrified of what he might do. "Daniel?" I said trying to get his attention, but he either didn't hear me or ignored me entirely.

"Yukie, get inside the house. I don't want you to see this…" He commanded.

I didn't ask why, but I hurried into the house and closed the door. Watching from the window secretly, I watched what was going on. They were outside arguing, and I saw Eric take out a gun. I screamed when he shot Daniel in the chest, but the vampire was unfazed by the human's attack. Laughing, Daniel did something to the other man. I jumped when I saw Eric roll around screaming in agony, and then, he suddenly burst open. Daniel had used his Thaumaturgy on the younger man. Blood sprayed everywhere, coating everything, including the vampire in a wave of crimson. I gagged. Running to the toilet I threw up everything I had eaten.

Daniel wiped the blood from himself and looked around to make sure no one saw that. Taking off his bloody coat and clothes. unfazed by the winter cold, he entered the house. "Yuki?" He asked.

I said nothing, but straightened myself out and flushed the toilet. I think he knew I saw everything because he threw his stuff in the washer and frowned. "You saw, did you?" He asked. I nodded. "I'm sorry." He said.

I shook my head no. "It's okay. You saved me. If you weren't here he would have raped me." I replied back.

He just nodded. He went over and pulled me into a hug to comfort me. He smelled of blood, but I didn't care. I was just glad we were both going to be okay. "Hey. I love you. I don't feel bad for what I've done. I was going to eat the guy, but filth like him needed to be taken out. I don't ever want another man hurting you, and as long as I'm here, I promise to protect you," he assured me.

I nodded, starting to sob. He rubbed my back soothingly, and at first he leaned over to kiss me, but hesitated. "Don't worry. It's okay. You can kiss me, but first, let's get cleaned up. That bastard kissed me. I hope I didn't catch anything," I said chuckling.

He wiped the tears from my face. "Sounds good," he replied back. Smiling at me. I smiled back. Tonight was one hell of a night.

To be continued...

Edited by Darkest Nightmare's Dread


	5. Chapter 5

I didn't want to be alone at night so I asked Daniel to sleep in the same bed as me. At first he was hesitant and said no, but I kept pleading and begging him and he finally gave in but on one condition: I wear full set of pajamas.

That seeing me in skimpy outfits would be too much for him and he didn't want to touch me until we were married, even though I could tell he wanted to ravage me because the look of love and fondness in his eyes changed to intense lust. And I didn't want to tease him but then again I was curious to see his reaction if I walked out in front of him wearing a baby doll lingerie set. But it wouldn't be a wise idea because my mother always told me if a man gets aroused it is hard to keep him off and away from you.

He lent me some of his shirts. Of course it was a little big but I didn't mind. I just wanted him by my side tonight. Daniel left to put his clothing in the dryer once it had finished washing and I played on my phone until he got back. He stretched and yawned. And crawled into bed with me.

I smiled and cuddled close to him, he laid my head on his chest and it didn't make me uncomfortable or startle me seeing that I was sleeping next to a corpse. It wasn't just a corpse, though, it was a man that I deeply cared about even though he had no heartbeat, it was still comforting.

After a few minutes we fell asleep.

*2 hours later*

*Daniel's p.o.v *

I woke up feeling a little hungry and checked my cellphone. It was 10:20 pm. And Yukie wasn't in bed with me. I felt myself start to panic until I heard the shower running. I was relieved as I thought she left or something.

Getting out of bed. I walked over to the bathroom I heard her singing a happy little tune in her native tongue. Smiling, as I knew it was wrong to watch, but a part of me wanted to turn away and get back to bed or just leave out to hunt but I didn't want to leave without telling her where I was going.

''Hey Yukie, I'm going out hunting. I'll be back before sunrise." I said out loud. She said nothing but stopped singing and slid open the shower door. My jaw dropped and I back peddled away trying to cover my eyes.

Even though I didn't like to look, I liked what I saw. The beautiful milky white of her breasts contrasted with her brunette hair, and who would have guessed that she had a belly ring and a butterfly tattoo right above her naval.

If I was still alive I would have gotten a boner from the sight. Yukie stepped out, amused and giggling at my reaction, and she walked up to me and pushed me on the bed with strength that I didn't know she could possess and crawled on top of me. Ignoring the wetness from her shower on my clothing I gave off a nervous laugh

''Hey yukie? This is hot and all but I thought we agreed to date and get married first. Don't you think we're going too far?" I asked, concerned but a little bit excited. She took her ponytail out and shook her hair free letting the brunette locks cascade over her face like an ebony waterfall. She put a finger to my lips.

''I did say we should wait, but why not have the cake and eat it too and enjoy one another now? I need you Daniel," She purred in a sultry tone.

And that was all it took. I lost the last shred of my self control and flipped her on her back. She gasped when I roughly kissed her, but was soon moaning and enjoying the attention I was giving her. I ran my hands down her breasts squeezing them gently and earning her approval. I started to pull my pants down when I noticed something off.

Something was terribly wrong. The look of love wasn't in her eyes, but a look of violence and pure malice. This wasn't Yukie.

Back handing the woman onto the floor, the imposter hissed and bared her fangs. ''Oh my a smart one are we? Very impressive. I think your the first man to have seen through my disguise…" the creature trailed off.

And what was once Yukie transformed into a winged scantily clad succubus who wore nothing but a gold corset and gold leather panties. The vile spirit bowed mockingly at me, showing off a gratuitous amount of cleavage that threatened to spill out her corset.

The demoness strolled up to me, spreading her black wings and clicking her white stiletto boots. She grinned at me laughing wickedly and tossing her red hair from her face. Her gold eyes turned to hateful look. ''Hmmmm, that's a shame. I thought I actually that I had a chance with you. I'm surprised you didn't see the note your little girlfriend left for you. " The succubus replied hitching up her corset, not that I was going to help cover her breasts or anything.

Despite her actions, the garment did nothing to hide anything from a man's imagination. Glancing to the dresser I saw the note and mentally kicked myself again.

Of course, she was a demon hunter, and she was out on the job right now. ''Since you and I are alone how about we…." But before the disgusting spirit could finish, I cut her off.

''Get lost you filthy spirit! You are nothing but a wretched demon that feeds on the life force of men through sex! I do not want anything to do with you and if you know what's good for your health you will leave this place immediately or I will do much worse then back hand you!" I snapped at her.

The succubus raised a eyebrow and laughed crossing her arms she floated placing a pale hand on her chin. She pursed her ruby red lips and chuckled. ''Oh come now don't be a sour puss. I just want to satisfy your carnal desires….and besides we are both Demons and I can satisfy you more than that pitiful human. I can ride you for hours on end and you don't have to worry about hurting me because compared to humans, us Succubi are made to endure even the roughest Coupling."

The succubus cooed advertising her disgusting lust towards me. '' I said get lost now!" I snarled beginning to feel the beast creep out from within me. But of course the creature could not take no for an answer. Flying over she tried to place her nasty red manicured nails on me. I did not want to resort to violence so instead of killing her, I picked her up and roughly threw her out the house.

The creature looked back at me, appalled that I had threw her out the house like a misbehaving dog. She picked herself up off the ground and hissed at me. "Fine be that way! But you'll be sorry that you did not give into me when that cute little hunter girl grows old and dies! Face it! Humans are worthless and you know it!" At that the demon disappeared into the night, never returning again.

I smirked, glad she at least decided to leave. I couldn't stand their kind, and this wasn't the first time a Succubus tried to seduce me. Getting myself ready to leave, I locked the door behind myself and went out to feed, only returning before sunset to sleep.

Meanwhile

Yukie had returned home from killing a few vampires that had cornered a nun that was minding her own business. Luckily the nun was okay. Nothing serious, just a few scrapes and bruises. Out of gratitude, the nun had tried to give her money, but Yukie couldn't bring herself to take it. Bidding the older woman farewell, she returned back home. The house was quite and Oscar was asleep.

Going into her room she saw Daniel fast asleep and stared at him in adoration. It was still early and she was tired. She noticed the time and quickly hurried off to bed. She didn't want to risk over sleeping again.

*later that night*

Skelter still hadn't come back home yet and Damsel was worried. They were ordered by Prince William to come to his daughter Maria's party. Damsel wasn't feeling up to going, and neither was Nines, but he pushed his wife to go or else they would have to hear Lacroix's rants and feel his wrath. Prince William loved his daughter so much that when she was embraced by another man and not him himself, he fell into a depression. It was also confirmed that his daughter was a Salubri but no one dared to try and overthrow William from his throne and kill her. Of course, the Tremere were on her like white on rice, and after that little attack the werewolves did to the tremere chantry.

Fifty Tremere, and three fledgling Tremere, including Strauss himself, suffered a horrible final death. And after that the Tremere clan was still mourning the tragic occurrence, but to tell you the truth, it serves those creepy bastards right. Those filthy mages creeped everyone out.

'Maybe next time those ugly mutts will attack the Lambrosa and the Sabbat clan next,' Damsel thought to herself. She looked into the mirror and finished adding the last finishing touches to her makeup before turning to face her husband who was struggling with his tie. Smirking, she went over and helped him with it. ''There now you don't have to keep fiddling with this shit," she said, laughing a bit.

He smiled. ''Thanks babe. Thanks to you, we won't be late and, hey, are you okay? You don't look so happy." He asked.

Damsel thought it would be best to lie and say she was fine but Nines always saw through her lies even if she didn't want him to. A century of marriage helped him detect even the slightest change in her mood.

''Hey babe what's wrong?" He asked again. Damsel smoothed out her teal dress and looked away from him. ''Nothing." She lied, but he was hearing none of that.

''I call bullshit. You've never been this quiet. Something is up," he replied back.

Taking her face in his hands he turned her head gently to face him. ''Come on Damsel out with it," he said softly.

Damsel sighed. ''Okay, okay. I'll tell you. It's, it's skelter. He still hasn't come back home and I'm worried about him," she confessed.

Nines just nodded. ''Hey, I'm sure he just wants a break from us, but I promise you he's going to be okay. I know there's been a lot of hunters around, but I guarantee you that Skelter is a tough guy. He can manage on his own. Yeah, you said something that hurt his feelings, but I'm sure he'll forget about that and he'll be right back drinking at the Last Round with us again," he assured her.

Some part of Damsel felt relieved to hear that, but the other part of her didn't believe him. ''Now come on, let's get going before Lacroix has our heads," he said, gently taking her hand in his and gave her hand a reassuring squeeze.

Smiling, she leaned over and nicked his lips playfully before giving him a kiss. At that the couple left out to the gathering.

Meanwhile

*Daniel's p.o.v*

Today was the first day of the fair and I eagerly pulled Yukie out to go enjoy it. Today was the first date we were going on and I wanted everything to be perfect. I smiled seeing her look around excitedly at everything. She pulled me over to a couple of rides. We rode the ferris wheel and the Tunnel of Love. At first, I was a bit embarrassed but I lightened up a bit after seeing the smile on her face.

I admired the way her hair shone in the moonlight, trailing down to the tight fitting jeans she was wearing, but quickly looked up when she caught me.

''Enjoying the view are we?" she asked playfully. I blushed and stuttered and she pulled me over to a fish catching prize game. Those little guys were fast but I'll try my best. Taking the cup, I aimed for the goldfish that was minding his own business. When it noticed what I was doing it quickly tried to swim away but it wasn't fast enough, and I caut the goldfish. The man bagged it for us and I carefully handed the little guy to Yukie.

Her face little up and she happily held the fish up. Next I won her a large teddy bear and we went to go eat at the food court. Well, I pretended to eat.

And if I was still human the nachos I ate probably would have been delicious, but to a vampire it tasted like mud and gravel. You might as well go lick saw dust if you were a vampire.

I had a chance to feed off a few wandering people when no one was looking, and returned back to Yukie's side. We played some more fair games and got to know each other. We played ring toss and got on the ferris wheel and I got cotton candy for Yukie, though I just liked the smell of it but I stopped in my tracks when i saw Kevin and Isaac walking close by.

Kevin was the new Malkavian fledgling in town and he was an asshole. He was rude to women and very perverted and loved to play cruel tricks on people. He was also my classmate back in high school and that bastard just loved to take my girlfriends. I didn't understand why that loser was with Abram Isaac, but I didn't feel like asking. Hopefully they didn't notice me.

I hurried up and tried to leave with Yukie when Kevin blocked the way. ''Where ya going Daniel? And who's your lovely lady friend?" he asked, even though he already knew with that damn Malkavian insight. I saw Yukie's nose scrunch up in disgust, and she narrowed her eyes at him. ''Oooh feisty! I like it! I bet she's a little tiger in bed." Kevin crudely commented.

After hearing that, Yukie's eyes widened and I saw her take out a small weapon. Taking her arm in mine, she slowly calmed down.

''Mr Thompson that is not appropriate to say in front of a lady, or at all in a matter of fact!" Isaac scolded. Kevin ignored the older Man and dug in his ear flicking a wad of ear wax, making me cringe. Kevin wore a pimp fur coat and white pants with white shoes. He was also shirtless and sported these ridiculous goggles that look like he bought them off of amazon. But knowing this cheap bastard he probably did and then he always wore this stupid cat and the hat Dr. Suess looking hat, and he still managed to go home with girls! Pretty ones at that. It didn't matter, kindred or kine, he was always with a new girl on his shoulder.

''I apologize for bothering you, Mr. Jackson, and I also apologize to your lovely date. We did not want much but to say the prince wants to see you." Isaac said.

I crossed my arms. ''Why?" I asked, and I swear I could hear Isaac grind his teeth. ''Please, Mr. Jackson, he is hosting a party for his beloved daughter, Maria. We promise, we want nothing but your time and presence as Lady Lacroix would love to meet you in person. She's heard so much about you," Isaac replied and I sighed.

''Isaac, we're in the middle of a date." I replied back, trying to keep my tone from sounding overly bitter or angry.

Isaac gave me a stern look, like the ones your parents gave you when you were misbehaving as a child. ''Mr. Jackson, you have no choice," he said. At that he thrust the invitation in my hands and bowed respectfully.

He took Yukie's hand in his, and it took took every fiber of her not to snatch her hand away from him. She despised vampires but she loved me. We are an odd couple, but that is what makes us unique. Isaac kissed Yukie's hand and I swear apart of her soul died.

''By the way, try not to slaughter our kind vampire hunter." Kevin spat and Yukie looked in horror at him.

''But how did you know?" she asked, but Kevin burst out laughing.

''It's a Malkavian thing sweet cheeks," he added, then he did an overly dramatic bow and flipped me the bird before both he and Isaac left the fair. I was speechless and looking over I saw Yukie's eyes start to twitch uncomfortably.

''Babe? " I asked. She said nothing but shook.

"Watashi wa kare o nikumu." ( I hate him in Japanese). She muttered.

''What?" I asked giving her a puzzled look. Note to self: learn Japanese.

''I hate him!" She said in English.

''Aww, come on Yukie, ignore him. Kevin has been like that since high school, so don't let him get to you," I said trying to calm her down.

She nodded, rubbing her temples as she was getting a headache from the stress. ''Come on let's go get on more rides and I'll attend to the prince later," I offered. Luckily, she accepted. After the fair, we headed to Lacroix's tower. I kind of felt bad seeing that Chunk was gone. That guy was the most funny but annoying security guard. Too bad Sebastian's sheriff killed him.

There was a stern looking security guard at the desk, who ignored me until he saw Yukie on my arm and quickly straightened up.

''Hello you must be Daniel. And look at this pretty lady. Is this your girlfriend?" he asked.

''Yup. Here's the invitation, you going to let us in?" I asked trying to avoid any form of unnecessary small talk and conversation." The old man blinked, but nodded. And buzzed us up and I whispered in Yukie's ear.

''Remember, you are to say you're my ghoul. If they hear that, they won't kill you. Plus I'll protect you. Just try not to talk much," I told her. She understood, but still had a hand on her weapon just in case.

Walking up to the elevator a few seconds later, we arrived at the party and instantly all eyes were on us, and I heard the prince's voice call out.

''Ah, Daniel! How nice of you to come. Oh, I see you've brought a date. Who is this beautiful kine you have on your arm?" He asked.

I felt a knot in my throat. Oh boy, I am not looking forward to this.

To be continued.…


	6. Chapter 6

It seemed like all the eyes of every kindred in the room were on me. Some were curious, while some were looking on at me with great displeasure and disgust. Still others were looking with admiration. I felt Yukie hook her arm around mine tightly. She was obviously very uncomfortable in this situation, and I couldn't blame her. So was I. ''Hello. You must be the new prince everyone has been talking about. I've heard a lot of good things about you. This is my girlfriend Yukie. She's a sophomore in college," I replied politely, trying my best not to give away my fear and slight discomfort. I hated talking to the city's princes or primogen. It felt like they were judging me, and their stern eyes and blank facial expressions made me feel as if they were searching for something inside me, or trying to catch me in a lie. Yukie tried to give Lacroix's cousin a kind smile, and he smiled back, but it wasn't a "nice to meet you, let's be friends" smile. It was the kind a cat gave a poor canary before it gobbled the pitiful creature up.

Prince William was a tall but lanky gentleman, and wore the finest suits tailored to his size and imported from Italy. His long curly red hair reached his shoulders, and he wore his glasses on the bridge of his nose. His gold eyes looked down at me arrogantly, but his gaze soon shifted on Yukie, and he chewed on his lip before speaking up again. ''Mr. Jackson, will you accompany me to my office? I'd like to have a little chat with you," The prince asked. He stared me down again, making me nervous.

Still, I had no choice whatsoever but to accept. "Yes, sir. That will be fine, but what about my…" But before I could finish. The prince cut me off.

"Do not worry, Mr. Jackson. My sheriff, Ms. Balewa, here will make sure no one touches or makes a snack of your beautiful girlfriend here. I promise," the prince assured me. Still, he was a Lacroix, and Lacroix's family couldn't be trusted.

Yeah, I just met the guy, and I know that I shouldn't judge a book on its cover. Still, this was another vampire we are talking about, and kindred are known to be deceitful and manipulative. As a species, we had to be in order to survive. I watched as a huge kindred walked up to us and respectfully bowed towards me and her master. She was the same species as the sheriff Lacroix had following him around. I forgot what their clan is called, but I believe it's Nagloper or something like that. I heard they came from some part of Africa. Nevertheless, she was just as huge as the old sheriff was, and her eyes were dead and glassy like a beheaded fish's. She stood proudly, and was 8 ft. tall. Honestly, I was even more afraid of her than the prince himself. God knows what she'd do to a person if him or her crossed her on a bad day.

I heard William speak to her in some ancient African language I've never heard before in my life, and in return the giant female, who sported nothing but ripped black jeans and a blood-stained crop, topped with a biker hoodie and combat boots. She took out a huge sword that looked like the Blade of Olympus from the God of War. She placed the blade over her shoulder, and I swear every kindred in the room let out a huge sigh of relief. After picking Yukie up bridal style, I watched as she dragged my girlfriend away who was busy trying not to either scratch the other woman's eyes out or pee herself. Seeing her separate from my side made me very uneasy. "Now that your girlfriend is safe and sound, follow me to my office, please. It's right this way," he said causally.

I said nothing but nodded, feeling like cotton was stuck in my throat or something. I hated this, and I really wish I didn't have to be here, that we didn't have to be here. There was nothing I could do, though. This was his city, after all. Following the older kindred to his office, I noticed that the hallway had been decorated with heroic pictures of William himself on a white steed during his time in the war. The hallways were even more extravagant and gold plated. I could only guess how much money had to be put into this, because even the doors were gold.

I had to admit that the Lacroixs were a bunch of cheap skates when it came to paying other people for their dirty work, but they had an excellent taste in decorating. The man sure did love himself some gold. After several agonizing minutes, we finally made it to his office, which was just as neatly organized and pristine as his younger cousin's. The only thing out of place was the huge bloodstain on the ground. I bit my lip staring at the stain. ''I thought I told the sheriff to clean that up? I swear she's a good woman, but she has the memory span of an old woman at times," Prince William chattered on. Walking by the blood stain and going over to his desk, he beckoned me over and then pressed the button on the intercom. ''Ms. Price, will you please come up to my office? It seems the sheriff made a mess of the floor. I have a guest right now, and I need the floor cleaned ASAP. Report to my office immediately!" A timid but female voice responded back quickly with a "yes, master. Right away, master," and at that, Prince William cut the intercom off.

A few seconds later, a very attractive red-headed Ghoul ran in and quickly took out her cleaning supplies to start work on the big blood spot. Out of morbid curiosity, I wondered what happened there, but a part of me didn't want to know after I saw her pick up what looked to be fangs and human teeth ripped out from the root. She discarded them into the trash. After scrubbing and cleaning the stain up to the point it had faded completely, the maid stretched to get the kinks out her back from working hard on the floor. I had to turn away because the maid's cleavage was spilling out. Not that she minded, though she giggled when she saw me turn away, obviously enjoying my reaction. She stopped when her master called her over. She quickly ran up to his side, waiting on his next command. Lucky for her, that was all that William had wanted. He must have been pleased with her performance because he removed his cuff links and rolled up his sleeves. The ghoul's eyes shone brighter than the sun as she bit deep into his wrist. A trickle of vitae flowed down from his wrist, and he offered it to the young woman. The ghoul greedily took hold of his arm and drank deeply. When he felt she had enough, he tapped on her head, and she relinquished her hold on him. Licking the vitae from her mouth, she bowed respectfully. ''Thank you, Ms. Price. You are dismissed," William said, returning his gaze back at me. The ghoul nodded. She walked away, packing up her supplies and leaving us alone. After the young woman left, Prince William turned to me, causing me to, once again, get severely nervous. ''Calm yourself, fledgling. I wish you no harm, but I do have a few concerns regarding your girlfriend and your presence in my city," William said calmly.

''What is it that you want to talk about, sir?" I asked trying my best not to stutter, and that only seemed to make him smile again.

''Daniel, I know about your girlfriend's … profession. She is a vampire hunter, isn't she?" He asked.

I looked down at the floor, not even wanting to give him eye contact any longer. ''Yes, she is, sir," I replied back.

''And you've been dating for a few weeks, is that correct?" Prince William asked again. I nodded yes, feeling like a small child getting scolded. ''Daniel, you know this is a violation and act of betrayal against our species. You do realize how much trouble this causes for the entire kindred race. My dear boy, vampire hunters are our enemies, not our friends and lovers… What if she betrays you?" He said, harshly scolding me.

At that, I stood up and clenched my fists. I was not about to sit here and get scolded like some ignorant mortal child. I was a grown vampire, and I could do whatever I liked. ''Sir, she isn't like that. She knows exactly what I am, but she has not done anything to hurt me, and she only attacks Sabbat members. She is the woman I love with all my heart and soul, and I wouldn't give her up for anything in this world," I said, politely refraining from ripping out the other man's jugular. I felt the beast once again trying to resurface, and I once again forced it back down.

There was an awkward silence, but then the prince himself chuckled and smiled. ''You really do love her, eh? Oh, well. I am a man who can sympathize with that, and I don't feel that separating you or killing you both would solve anything. Still, I've decided that she is now your responsibility, and if she does anything to risk a masquerade violation, both you and your girlfriend will suffer the consequences. I'm sure you don't want to end up like that big blood stain on the ground you saw. A few hours ago, a ghoul and her Sabbat master decided it would be a good idea to try and assassinate my daughter Maria. Let's just say the sheriff got to try out her new sword. She diced them up so well they ended up looking like ground hamburger. I wonder if she was ever a master chef back in Africa," the prince said leaning back in his chair, thinking about the grotesque scene from earlier with a smile so pure and relaxed it was creepy. Here, I thought us Tremeres were supposed to make people feel uncomfortable. After snapping out of his morbid daydream. the prince straightened himself out and looked at me as if nothing had ever happened at all. ''Since you took out my annoying little cousin, I've decided also that you and your girlfriend will be staying in your own lavish apartment. I will pay for all the expenses. My dear boy, you are like a son to me in a way. I sometimes can see myself in you. No normal fledgling can take out the Sabbat and the Kuei-Jin and survive. You, my boy, have potential," he added. Before I could even speak up he silenced me again. For a Ventrue, he sure was rude. This guy never even let me start what I was going to say. Oh, well. At least he won't hurt me or Yukie. ''At the end of this party, my ghouls Stacey, Tracey, and Casey will escort you and your girlfriend to your new home. Enough of talking right now. I'm starting to feel a bit peckish," he said, cracking his knuckles and standing up to stretch.

After our little chat, a Ventrue deputy of Latino descent came to get me and led me to where Yukie was being held at. The Latino kindred said nothing to me, but nervously kept shifting his gaze back and forth towards me like he was afraid I might bite him or something. I could tell he was afraid of me because he walked up ahead of me and kept a safe distance. I wasn't going to hurt him or anything. Maybe he was afraid of me because of what I did to the Kuei-Jin and the other kindred that got in my way, including Sebastian Lacroix. It could be because I was dating a hunter, but either way, the guy was avoiding me as if I had the Plague or something. Several minutes later, we arrived at a heavily guarded and chained up door. ''Really? You guys put a chain on the door? Guards, I can understand, but the chains are completely unnecessary," I commented. The Latino kindred shook his head No.

''Good luck trying to get anything out of him. He can't speak English, and for your information that little bitch- I mean, girlfriend of yours- stabbed me in the eye. We had to confiscate all her weapons!" A gangrel deputy replied back, clutching his very bloody eye.

His friend dug in his messenger bag, and handed him a blood bag. The gangrel muttered a quick thank you and quickly tore into the bag with his fangs. The Ventrue then unlocked the door, and the sheriff greeted him with a blade to his throat. Realizing it was him, she placed her blade down. Yukie, who was sitting on a bland colored cream couch, saw me walk in and quickly ran up and jumped into my arms, nearly knocking me over in the process. Honestly, I could have cared less. I'm just happy that William's goons here didn't make a meal out of her. Catching my balance and hoisting her up, I carried her bridal style out the room. The deputies handed me her bags and weapons and before we left, the gangrel gave her the most hateful look he could muster up.

He stopped when he saw my gaze turn to him, and he quickly looked down at the floor as if he was a nervous school boy and stayed there.

The Latino kindred led us back to the area where the party was taking place and quickly ran off to do God knows what. After I placed Yukie down, she hooked her arm with mine and laid her head on my shoulder. Out of nowhere, that's when Vv and some Toreador she had been talking to walked up to us. ''Daniel, it's so nice to see you again. How's unlife? Oh, who is she?" Vv asked, knowing darn well that Yukie was my girlfriend.

Ever since I saved her from that huntress pretending to be a stripper at her club, she's been all over me and obsessed with me, always flirting and blowing me kisses and batting her lashes at me. You know, normal flirting stuff. It's not that I found her horrendously unattractive or anything, but I'm just not interested in her. She seems to not get the hint or even understand that I'm not romantically interested in her. That won't stop Vv. She's stubborn, and if she wants something, she'll work hard to get it. She must think I'm playing hard to get or something, because I can sense the anger and jealousy her aura is giving off.

''Hello, Vv. It's nice to see you again, and you too, Louis Wringhtson," I replied back. Louis, on the other hand, could not stand me and just grunted in reply, following it with a derisive scoff in Yukie's direction. The older kindred flicked his luxurious Red hair and straightened out his purple poofy blouse. The man was a complete fashionista who wore the brightest blouse he could find. He was the type who wanted all the attention and fame for himself, even though everyone really was here to see the prince's daughter.

Vv squeezed his arm, warning him to not say anything more, but I could tell a part of her was actually happy that I was getting made fun at. ''You know, Louis, that isn't very nice. We're all adults here. I thought we could get along just once. I even think we can be…."

And once again another person cut me off. What is it with people and cutting others off in this city? Then again, this was LA. Everyone and their mother was rude in one way or another or in one shape or form. ''I will hear nothing more from you. You betrayed Lacroix! He died because of you!" And after hearing that all my patience for tonight flew out the door.

''Look. He brought this on himself. He opened the sarcophagus, and he paid with it with his life, but I think it's about time we should get going. Please have a nice night, both of you," I hissed, feeling down-right irritated. If I was still alive, I would have gotten a migraine from all this childish stupidity. Taking Yukie's arm, I pushed through the crowd with her. Before we left, she looked back with curiosity at the other two dumbfounded and shocked kindred. ''Oh, and by the way, your shirt still has the price tag on it, El Cheapo!" I called out before vanishing in the crowd. Louis turned redder then the shade of his hair from embarrassment. He quickly spun around to rip the tag off his clothing.

''Daniel, wait. I'm sorry. We're sorry I didn't mean to…..." Of course, no one heard Vv trail off her apology.

After successfully ripping the offending tag from his blouse, Louis turned to Vv. ''I apologize, Ms. Vv i…" Instead of a reply Vv pushed him out the way. Louis was a bit shocked, but also confused.

''Vv… i."

"Just shut up, okay? Why did you have to treat him like that? Why does he have her here? You … you ruined everything!" Vv snapped before storming off, leaving Louis standing by himself and utterly confused. A twinge of guilt rose in the pit of his stomach. Perhaps he did go too far. It wasn't like Daniel started anything with him. In fact, surprisingly, the tremere was actually very pleasant to be around but, he still hated him. Sebastian was his friend, and in his heart, the true prince of LA, not his stuck up older cousin, William, who was far way too skinny for his tastes. Besides, he liked a man with meat on his bones. Straightening himself out, he frowned. He really should go after Vv, but considering how upset she was right now, it probably was a bad idea to disturb her. To make it up to her, he decided he'd bring her her favorite flowers, and if that didn't work, he'd even give her some of his finer quality blood bags. He noticed the crowd began to shift, circling something. On closer inspection, it was someone and his eyes widened. It couldn't be … It really was her: Princess Maria.

He walked up to the crowd and tried to push through, but stubborn kindred refused to let him see past, and he had to stand on his tip toes. There she was, in all her glory. The three eyed kindred stood, fanning herself and wearing a beautiful bright yellow ball dress, which was adorned with sapphires, pearls, and other gold-plated decorations. Her hair was curled today, and she wore satin yellow gloves, showing off a modest amount of cleavage. Everyone, especially the Toreadors, were entranced by her beauty, except the Tremere, who whispered rude and snarky remarks about her. ''Disgusting! She doesn't deserve to be the princess, especially a daughter of the prince himself!" One female Tremere whispered.

"Her clan is an ugly bunch of soul-sucking demons. Someone needs to step up and get rid of her, that murderer of our brother," a male Tremere spat.

''I think she looks beautiful today. There's no need to be rude, now. She is the prince's daughter, and I'd watch your mouths if I were you," I said, patiently pushing through them while holding Yukie close to my side.

The other Tremeres' eyes widened, shocked that I was standing up for the princess. Yes, I had no clue who the chick even was, but I know how it feels to have your name slandered, especially by people who don't even know you or don't bother even attempting to get to know you. I understood that my clan hated Salubri, but I was sure not all of them are as cruel and bad, as the elders at the chantry go on forever speaking about it. Seeing me up close, the princess's bodyguards and the sheriff herself blocked my way. ''No, no. It's alright. I want to see him," the princess assured her protectors.

The sheriff gave a Kratos-like grunt of disapproval, but unwillingly moved to the side and let us get close to her. ''Daniel, is it? I've heard so much about you, how you defeated the Kuei-Jin and how you killed a shark monster… Um… I forgot what it was called. That, and you took down my evil second cousin!" She said ecstatically, going over my accomplishments.

The Tremeres were mortified that she was glorifying me, one they thought a worthless fledgling! ''Princess, it is a pleasure to meet you. You are absolutely breathtaking, if I might say so myself. It is an honor to meet you," I replied bowing respectfully.

The princess was as pale as death, of course. We are dead. We are vampires, after all, but hearing that compliment made her skin flush a pinkish-red as if she were alive again. Taking her hand, I kissed it, and the members of my clan gasped. Angry shattering started to pour forth from them like wasps on caffeine. I ignored their remarks and turned around to look at them. They stared at me like angry vicious dogs, ready to rip the throat out of an unsuspecting victim. Not batting a lash at them, I excused myself from the princess's presence and walked away with Yukie.

''What was that all about? I didn't know vampires had royalty, and what's with the hand kissing? You never did that with me. Sorry if I sound a bit jealous... I just… Never mind," Yukie replied.

Sensing her distrust and confusion I gave her arm a gentle squeeze and kissed her on the mouth. ''Please forgive me if I made you upset, love. It's just … she's the ruler of this city if her dad ever dies. She's very important, and getting on her dad's or her bad side can mean us both getting killed, and the whole vampire politics thing? I'll explain to you later, okay, babe?" I assured her.

Yukie only nodded yes and leaned her head on my chest, wrapping her arm around mine once more tightly. A ghoul of William walked up and offered me a very expensive champagne mixed with blood. I accepted and thanked him for it, downing the drink. Suddenly, everyone got quiet as Prince William appeared and led his daughter up to a podium, along with that ugly-ass Nosferatu Bartram Tung. For some reason, he had Knox with him as well. Knox was wearing his usual clothing, but this time, he had a new jacket. It was a blue jacket with a cartoonish looking vampire on the front and back. His hair was slicked back and I noticed he grew a beard these past three years. Not to be gay or anything, but he actually looked pretty good. ''I would like to thank you all for coming tonight. My daughter Maria and I greatly appreciate it," Prince William announced.

''We're only here because you made us…." A Nosferatu fledgling muttered before her sire smacked her across the head. She winced and glared at him, but the older gentlemen could care less for her small show of disapproval.

The prince ignored them and cleared his throat. ''As I was saying, our primogen of the Nosferatu clan has an announcement to make." At that, the prince grabbed his daughter and brought her to his side as Bartram took the stage.

''Just to let you all know, if you are looking for a ghoul, Knox Harrington is now masterless. I've found a new ghoul, and she's way more obedient, less annoying, and a skilled computer hacker and mechanical genius. That is all. Oh, I totally forgot. Happy birthday, Knox. Your present is to get out of my presence," Bartram chuckled cruelly. Everyone gasped. Whispering of all the kindred and the eyes of each other vampire and their ghouls fell on Knox. Some were feeling bad for him, others were feeling very uncomfortable with the situation, and some were rather angry at the announcement. Unfortunately, some agreed with Bartram. Only those who treated their ghouls as disposable property did, though. Knox turned red from embarrassment and shame. You could tell the man was trying not to cry because he quickly pushed past the crowd, knocking over a Brujah fledgling in the process. Some of the other kindred erupted in a huge fit of laughter. I've never felt so bad for this guy in my life. At first, he did try to trick me when we first met, but he didn't deserve this. Knox has been nothing but loyal to Bartram, and the guy just tossed him out like last week's leftovers.

Suddenly, I felt a sharp pain in my arm. It wasn't nothing serious, but it was enough to make you flinch. Yukie had unknowingly dug her fingernails into my skin. ''Ow, babe. Let up a bit. What's wrong?" I asked.

''They are monsters. I…. I want to go home. Let's get out of here. I can't stand to be here any longer. Why are they being so cruel to that man?" She asked.

I frowned, gently brushed my hand over the brunette locks of her head and twirled it around. I couldn't wait to run my fingers through it when we got home. ''We are monsters, babe, but we only become monsters if we give into the beast and let it overcome us. Even humans can be monsters." I reminded her.

Yukie bit her lip, but sighed. ''I guess you're right, but please, let us leave soon. These Demons… I mean, other vampires keep looking at me like I'm a grilled steak or something," she replied back.

A deputy approached us, handing me the key to our new apartment, and I quickly pocketed the key and thanked him. He said nothing but growled and walked away. I turned to face my beloved. I rubbed her arm soothingly. ''Sure, Princess. we'll.…" Before I finished my train of thought the air grew colder. Something wasn't right. Oh, it definitely wasn't right. There was a burning smell then a loud howl and…. ''EVERYBODY GET DOWN!" I yelled out loud.

As I thought, a huge explosion blew the wall open, and those evil bastard Sabbat flooded in like ants descending on a piece of dropped doughnut. Ashes of unfortunate kindred fell from the air, and the screams of vampires and humans could be heard. The only thing I remember was grabbing Yukie before she hit her head on the floor and running off with her into the hallway. Enemy Tremere and the most hideous Nosferatu were parading back and forth. I had to safely tuck Yukie under my arm and use my Domination on them to force them to let us get by.

Jumping off the fire escape, I safely dropped down with Yukie in my arms. She was a bit startled from the blast and had a few cuts and bruises on her head, but it was nothing serious. Thank God. Police cars and ambulance sirens filled the night sky as I crept off to the location that Prince William had gave us to live in as long as we liked, but the joke's on him. After I propose to Yukie, we're moving to France. There was no way in Hell I'd let my bride live in the slums. ''What was that? Who are those people? What were those men?" She asked, frantically looking around.

''They are the evil kindred. They are Sabbat. They hate humans and risk the masquerade. I'll explain more to you later, but right now, we have to go somewhere else. Someone could be watching us," I quickly replied back.

Yukie was lost for words. She didn't understand at all, but she knew it was dangerous for the both of us. Hailing a cab, it drove us to our apartment. ''Oh no what about Oscar?! He's home all by himself." She said, realizing the situation at hand.

I shook my head. ''Honey, we'll get him later. I'm sure he's fine," I promised.

She wasn't too happy to hear that, but just nodded anyway. ''I sure hope you're right," she replied sleepily. She yawned, and I'm sure she was tired. I'd be tired, too, after hunting monsters all day.

*30 minutes later *

We arrived at our new home, walking up to the receptionist. She greeted us and told us our apartment number. After that, we thanked her and headed upstairs. The place was expensive, and beautifully furnished, which was SO much better than the nasty apartment Sebastian gave me. Unlocking the door, I opened it slowly. On the floor was an Edible Arrangements basket and a card from William. "These are for your girlfriend since we, as kindred, don't eat. Please enjoy the apartment," it read. Yukie looked around, amazed. Opening the fridge, she cringed a bit. creeped out at whatever it was that she saw.

''What's wrong? Are there blood bags in there? I asked.

She shook her head no. ''It's isn't that. It's just… How did he know to stock up the fridge with all my favorite snacks and food? She asked before walking back to admire the huge, round, aquarium in the middle of the room, stocked with giant stingrays and jellyfish.

''Kevin told him…" I muttered.

Yukie turned around and faced me. ''What was that?" She asked.

''Nothing. I was just talking to myself," I lied. I was thankful to whatever deity there was, because she didn't argue or ask questions. She went upstairs to look around and clean her wounds. I locked the door and followed her up. The place was huge and very nice. Going into the bathroom, I saw her purposely leave the door wide open. She smirked at me before beginning to take off her top. I quickly whirled around on the balls of my feet, and tried to give her some privacy but she just giggled. ''Oh, Daniel. Don't act so shy. I need help unhooking my bra, and my arms really can't reach back there." She said in a playful singsong.

A part of me wanted to ignore her, but the other part of me, as a man, could not give up a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity like this. So, I reluctantly went over and grabbed the end of her bra. It still smelled like her floral perfume from earlier, mixed with the intoxicating tangy and sweet smell of her blood rushing underneath that milky white skin of hers. The beast inside me screamed, but I quickly shoved it down again and unclasped her bra. The dainty lavender thing fell innocently to the floor and Yukie, as conniving and sneaky as a serpent, grabbed my hands and placed them over her beautiful grapefruit size breasts. I nearly managed to yank my hands back as if she had placed them over a burning stove, but she was having none of it. They're so soft… She's so beautiful, I could just sink my fangs into them and… No. Okay, this was nice, but this had to stop… Then again, maybe later, I'll ask to touch them again after I make her my bride, that is. She moaned when I pinched them a bit, feeling down to the nipple before snatching my hands back. ''You are absolutely breathtaking, but we must not do this again, not right now. I swear, the way you tempt me, it's as if you want me to take you on this floor right now and …."

Again, she giggled and pushed on my chest. It was hard to pay attention to her face with her breasts in my full view and I had to keep my eyes upwards. ''Maybe I want to tempt you. Maybe I wouldn't mind if you did take me right now," she whispered in my ear.

The smell of her blood and perfume drove me to the near brink of insanity. ''Yukie, I will bite you." I replied, nuzzling her neck and planting a kiss on her neck, gently sucking on the pulse. Being the little tease that she was, she shooed me out before stripping down and showering.

Man, I wish I could see through walls. The Lambrosa had it made. Feeling hungry, I went back downstairs to drink some of the blood bags in the fridge.

Meanwhile

After all the smoke cleared, Eliza smirked. Walking up, she noticed the injured Princess on the floor and smirked. A Tzimisce held the unconscious Princess in his arms, unaware that she was watching him. Thinking that no one was watching, he took a nail and ripped the front of her dress a little, licking his lips at her neck and the firm breasts spilling out from her bodice. ''Now, Walton, we had a deal. You aren't allowed to get the princess until I get my ancient artifact," she cooed, wagging a finger at him. The Tzimisce stopped dead in his tracks, hurried to fix himself and held the princess out to her. ''That's a good boy. Try not to make a mess of your pants, though. We still haven't killed William yet, or got the artifact of Eternal Night. After that is taken care of, you can have Maria all to yourself," she promised. The Tzimisce liked the sound of that and hurried to start the car, leaving her with the innocent kindred. Looking down, she saw why he liked her so much. She had DDs, and nice ones at that. Maybe after tonight, she'd sneak a taste of the princess, herself. Who knows? After that, other Sabbat members carried the princess out to the car, and they drove off into the night.

To be continued…

Edited by Darkest Nightmare's Dread


	7. Chapter 7

*Daniel's p.o.v *

It was getting late, and Yukie decided that she wanted to go to bed early. ''But it's only 10 PM," I reminded her but she just laughed. And shook her head no. ''I have to go to work tomorrow. " She replied stretching and tying her long brunette hair into a messy ponytail and slowly turned it into a messy bun.

I raised a eyebrow. ''You work?" I asked, but then internally groaned. That sounded way ruder then intended. Of course, she had to work. How else did she pay for her apartment? I only hoped that stupid question didn't offend her.

Yukie placed both hands on her hips, and dramatically placed one hand on her heart. Tsking her lips, she smiled. ''Of course I work, silly. Apartments these days are expensive, even the crappy ones. Besides, I work at a maid café, and I'm also a mangaka," she replied back.

''Mangaka?" I asked puzzled.

''It's a Japanese comic writer I already have two books published," she said proudly. Chuckling I sat down on the couch.

Yukie sat down next to me but I gently pulled her into my lap. Luckily, she didn't mind. Thank God. I don't want to be on the receiving end of a slap to the face or the kick in the groin. ''Well I have a Manga out called Battle Rose -it's a mecha Manga- and a romance one called Lilies vs Boys, but the mecha one is more popular."

I nodded and she absentmindedly played with my hands not at all disturbed by the huge body temperature gap between us. Dead flesh met warm soft hands. ''You know, I never was a big anime watcher. I did like Gundam Wing, but my father was strict, and mom … Well, she was always at work and only came home on the weekends. I grew up Catholic and my father thought everything was bad and banned us from watching certain shows," I confessed.

''Huh, really? That sucks. Well, what about your mother? Is she nice?" She asked.

''Yeah. Mom is cool. It wasn't until she got in that car accident and dad had to work in place of her that we really started to bond. Once, I got in trouble because when she was out cooking dinner, I decided to surprise her with this cool flower I saw in my neighbor's yard. He had a big hole in his fence, and I was small enough to fit through. Unfortunately, there was this really mean dog out in the back, and I ended up breaking my arm trying to get away from him."

''Oh no! What did your mom do?" She asked eyes wide, and that brought a smile to my face.

''Nothing too bad. She just yelled at me and started crying, and spanked me. She also took away my dessert privileges now that we were having apple pie. That's okay. I hate apple pie, anyways. Besides, I'm allergic to cinnamon."

That got her smiling. ''Well, at least your mom cares for you. I'm glad that dog didn't eat you. Do you know what kind of dog it was?" She asked, again genuinely curious.

''I don't know, but I know it was mixed with a pitbull. I've hated dogs ever since," I replied back. That both got us laughing.

''Well, I guess I can stay up for a few more minutes. It is kind of early, and yeah, I got bit by a dog when I was a kid. He came out of nowhere, too. I decided to take a shortcut one day through the woods, and he attacked me. Luckily, there was someone nearby and they shot it to death. I had to get stitches," she said, showing me the scar on her arm.

''And so it begins, our mutual hatred for dogs," I said jokingly, earning a soft smile from her. ''Hey Yukie, what happened to your mom?" I asked. She recoiled and frowned, and I immediately felt bad. ''Hey, sorry I asked. I…."

Before I could finish, she cut me off. ''No, no. It's okay, really. She… she…. was murdered. My dad killed her. They got in a really bad argument one day, and he pulled a gun out trying to scare her with it, but she threatened to call the police. I was upstairs playing with the new dollhouse my grandparents got me for my birthday. I loved that dollhouse because it had real running water and lights, and I still have it to this day…. But I heard mom and dad arguing, which was weird because my parents used to be inseparable. They were like two peas in a pod, but it wasn't really like that not anymore. So naturally, being a child, I went downstairs to check it out, and when I entered the kitchen, that's when he pulled the trigger. I remember blood splattering everywhere, and that's when he turned on me. He chased me, but with him being fat and old, his years of drinking way too much and overeating caught up with him. I remember running into the closet and hiding in the old musty chest my mother had. I heard him breaking stuff and rummaging through the house trying to find me, but he couldn't. After that, he turned the gun on himself.…."

I was left speechless. ''Yukie, I'm so sorry.…."

She waved me off. ''Thank you for your sympathy, but it's okay. Mom's in heaven now, and Dad's in hell where he belongs." Looking at the digital clock on the table, she climbed off my lap and kissed my forehead. "I'm going to bed. Wanna come with?" She asked cheerfully, despite the horrible story she had to retell.

''Not yet but I'll be in there in a minute I promise." I assured her. She smiled and went upstairs.

Feeling a bit grimy, I decided to throw my clothing in the washer and went to go take a shower.

Today was a long day.

-Meanwhile, no one's p.o.v-

Mercurio, who lived next door, was busy trying to help his stepsons with their packing his step daughter's Jasmine and Jamie had already finished packing for college while his stepsons Drake and Jamaine were finally finishing up. ''Dad, thanks for all your help. Are you sure you want to drop us off at the college? We can just take a cab." Drake offered, while his youngest brother Jamaine was deciding if he wanted to keep the old pet rock he had found in his closet or not. In the end, he ended up tossing it in the trash.

''Nonsense. What kinda dad would I be if I let you catch a cab? These cabs are expensive, anyway, and your mom would kill me. It's fine sport, really," Mercurio assured him.

The dark skinned 18-year-old boy looked at him with a smile. Mercurio had been a dad almost, before his pregnant girlfriend had miscarried. She blamed him for it and broke off the relationship. His heart had been broken ever since until, he met his wife Paris, and life was worth living again. She was pregnant with their first baby. Well, babies and it was quadruplets: three girls and one boy. It was not like he hated his stepsons and daughters, but he was glad they were moving out because they needed the room for the babies. The doctor said it would be any day now, and it made him excited yet made him nervous. After the boys got done packing, they left to go eat. Paris was craving an extra meaty and cheesy pizza and refused to cook, but he was glad because he loved his wife with every fiber of his being, but the woman cooked way more often than she needed. He often found himself feeling like a stuffed turkey from all the food, and sometimes they had to give the leftovers to the neighbors so that it didn't go to waste. Still, he was a happy stuffed turkey when that happened.

The doorbell rang. ''I'll get it!" Jasmine yelled from the room next door. At that, the young woman ran for the door. After that, the family sat down for dinner. Everyone eagerly sat down and grabbed a slice of their own, except for Jasmine.

Mercurio went over to the kitchen cabinet and dished out the cups and poured everyone a glass of cherry cola. ''Jasmine baby, what's wrong? Why aren't you eating?" He asked, concerned.

Jasmine tried to avoid the question but all the eyes of her family were now on her. ''I'm just not hungry…" She lied.

Mercurio and Paris weren't buying it. ''Dear, don't lie to me and your father what's wrong?" She asked.

The plus-size 18-year-old girl shifted uncomfortably on her seat. Her pigtails bounced in her fidgeting, but she brushed the ebony locks out her face. ''Well my boyfriend… Josh told me I was fat today on our trip to the mall with friends," she confessed. Her mother's eyes widened, and Mercurio stopped mid bite from the pizza he was eating, letting the cheesy goodness slide from his plate.

''He what?!" Mercurio said angrily.

''Honey I thought we told you not to talk to Josh again baby he's a bad influence.…." Jasmine said, sounding only slightly less unhappy.

Mercurio nodded in agreement. ''Your mother is right. Why do you keep going back to him, sugar bun?" Mercurio asked, trying to keep his anger in check.

''Well, he said he was sorry and he sounded like he meant it but when I was shopping the size large rack he started making pig noises and called me fat in front of the whole store. It really hurt my feelings.…" she confessed.

Mercurio had to stop himself from digging into the wooden table from anger. ''Don't worry pumpkin daddy will have a chat with Josh tomorrow I promise."

Jasmine smiled but frowned again. ''Don't feel sad, sweetheart. Not everyone is meant to be skinny," her mother said squeezing her arm gently to reassure her.

Jasmine felt a little better and grabbed a slice to eat. ''So, when is the baby due, mom?" She asked.

''Next week, but probably this Thursday," Paris replied back. "Whichever the baby decides."

''That's why I'm finishing up the nursery tonight even if it kills me." Mercurio added. The family sat down and chatted the dinner night away until there was only one slice left. Mercurio darn well wasn't going to eat it. He hated pineapple pizza, and his wife craved pineapple like a drug addict craved their next fix. When no one was looking, he threw it away. It belonged in the trash. anyway. Pineapple on pizza was just as nasty as liver and onions to him. His wife was busy reading a Babies R Us catalog, and he gently sat next to her. She placed the magazine down and leaned into his embrace. Her dark black hair tickled his face, and he placed a kiss on those soft ruby red lips. ''How's my beautiful lady doing today?" He asked, rubbing her shoulders.

She looked at him with those caramel brown eyes that a man could get lost him. ''I'm fine, but I've been hurting a lot lately. My back is killing me, and they won't stop kicking me," she said, pointing to her stomach.

Mercurio noticed several kicks from the four tiny precious new souls growing inside her, demanding to be let out. Lifting her gown up, he kissed every spot where they kicked, receiving a few more kicks that were much gentler. ''See. They're sorry, aren't you guys?" Mercurio asked, rubbing her belly.

The babies, of course, could give no reply, but it made Paris giggle. ''You're going to be a perfect father, and they already love you," she replied back.

Mercurio placed her gown down and cuddled close to her. ''I'm so blessed…" he said contently.

Paris played in his hair. ''God has blessed this family, don't you think? After my first husband left us, things were hard, but after I met you, everything got better. I hope it stays this way forever," She commented.

Mercurio lifted her hand and kissed it. ''I couldn't agree more, darling." At that the two retired for the night.

Meanwhile

Homando Brando awoke to the empty sounds of his huge apartment. He was a rich Ventrue, and one of the most trusted henchmen and beloved child of Prince Lacroix. Well, he was Lacroix's adopted child, but ever since his sire's death, William had adopted him. Still, he had a strange feeling in his gut that Sebastian wasn't dead, but it was probably just the connection between sire and child. There was no way Sebastian had survived that blast. Still, one did not get to predating the Christian New Testament without having some faith in the gut feeling. Slowly forcing himself to his feet, he stretched his 2000+-year-old bones and got up to shower and brush his fangs. His cellphone rang on his bedroom dresser and he groaned, going up to it. It was Primogen Rachel, the Tremeres' new primogen since the last one fled with their fledgling because rumors of prince Sebastian being alive had surfaced. A Nosferatu swore on his mother's grave that he saw him creeping about, watching William and his daughter and ghouls a few weeks ago. It was probably a lie. You couldn't trust a Nosferatu, anyway. They were little better than Roman tax-collectors. Picking up the phone, he was immediately screamed at by the hot-tempered tremere. ''Homando Brando! Get here now!" She hissed.

''Yes, ma'am. I'll be on my way in 20 minutes. " He replied in his deep, laidback voice as she hung up. Getting dressed, the Ventrue vampire left his apartment, locking the door behind him. He wondered what all the fuss was about. (People get soooo worked up over nothing,) the ancient vampire thought. Not getting worked up easily had worked for him in the past. Being laidback had helped him bluff his way past Roman guards when he was in ancient Israel, and surely, this was not nearly as bad.

Meanwhile

*At the Tremere chantry *

*20 minutes later *

The tremere fledglings fled when he came through. The eerie feeling from the chantry encased him like darkness, choking him every step he took. Some Tremeres looked at him with fear and some disgust, except a few female ones that were new, who looked at him with utter lust.

Homando didn't think himself very attractive or a ladies' man. He'd never been overly vain about his appearance. Now, Homando had dark skin, long white hair (like a Dark Elf from Dungeons and Dragons, without the cruel, bloodthirsty nature. Or a moldy cave), and a slender build. Despite his hair, he looked to be in his early 20s. Few knew he was much older than that. Few inside the Masquerade, and none outside it, even knew his true age.

A female tremere, who was in fact very pretty, brushed herself purposely against him, hoping to get his attention romantically. Homando looked down at her emotionlessly at her attempt at flirtation even how inappropriate it was. The girl was at least 24 years old, and resembled Snow White. At first, he was going to push her away, but he was starting to get very lonely. At the very least, a woman's touch even if temporary, would be enough to satisfy him. He slipped her his cellphone number. The girl's eyes widened excitedly. ''Meet me before sunrise," he whispered in her ear. The girl nodded eagerly before running off. A tremere ghoul bowed before him before leading him to his mistress. To Homando's mild surprise, he led him to a huge bathroom. It wasn't as nice as his, but it was decent. As the ghoul ran off quickly, Homando slowly opened the door. Inside, Rachel was being bathed by a few fairies and lower Demons. A few incubi and imps scampered about, pouring scented oils in the bath while fairies bathed their mistress's hair. ''Whoa, ma'am. Don't you think this is inappropriate?" Homando asked, politely looking away.

Rachel silenced him, annoyed at how calm the Middle Eastern vampire sounded. ''Look. Shut up, you laidback fool. I know you have a thing for pretty girls, and me bathing isn't going to hurt you. I have terrible news to tell you, and I need you to look into it, since you are Prince William's adoptive child after all," she reminded him.

Homando frowned. He did not enjoy being reminded of his new sire. Now, William wasn't totally evil, but Rachel did not know what type of person he was behind closed doors, how William clung to him and told him things that he would never tell anyone else. It would be comforting if he did not look like Sebastian himself. His clingy, overly protective fatherly gaze made Homando uncomfortable, and his protective gaze scaled across him like a lizard on rough sandy terrain. Homando didn't want that. He wanted to be free and to scale the city without his restrictive adoptive sire's eyes hovering over him. He didn't even notice himself spacing out until Rachel yelled at him, causing the tiny fairies around her to flinch and fly away. He wished he could sprout wings too and leave too. Pleased that she had his attention again, the tremere ranted on what was happening again. The only thing that caught his attention was that the princess was kidnapped, and Prince William was beyond frantic. He was offering 80 million dollars to anyone who brought her home safely. Now, don't get me wrong. Homando was well off, but a little extra cash in his bank account couldn't hurt him too much. Plus, the prince is also throwing the princess's hand in marriage to her rescuer, so this was a deal he was willing to take. Also, he tended to come off as the guy who was too laidback to take anything seriously, but this, even HE had to take seriously. Still … he couldn't help but ask. ''Why are you telling me this, Primogen Rachel? She's a Salubri, and you hate them," he reminded her as he turned his head to look at her.

Rachel accepted a cigar from a dark-skinned succubus while another demon lit the cigar for her.

If she were human all these cigars would have been killed her. But you can't get cancer if your already dead. Feeling pleased with herself, she sank back farther into the tub and dismissed the lesser Demons, who begrudgingly left their mistress's side and left us alone. Rachel heard the door click behind them and stared Homando down. ''Wow. Did I actually find something you're actually concerned about?" She asked sarcastically. "I'm telling you this because if you rescue her, we can split the money. You owe me a favor for getting rid of those hunters by your haven, anyway. I didn't like having to get blood on my hands, dear, especially that of teenagers. That poor 16-year-old boy…" She cooed.

Homando winced at the memory. ''I will accept the deal. I will think about it," he replied before turning around to walk out. He disliked being around Rachel when she was feeling giddy and manipulative nothing good ever came from it.

"Oh, and about that tremere girl you met? Stop flirting with my students!" She hissed, but he ignored her. Closing the door behind himself, he heard Rachel huff before turning on some music. Leaving out quickly, he went to pay the prince a visit. He did not enjoy these meetings at all, but they had to be done. That, he knew.

Meanwhile

*Daniel's p.o.v*

It was getting late, so I decided to try and go out hunting. (I'm sure Yukie wouldn't mind,) I thought to myself before heading out. Turning around, I nearly ran into an overly busty woman who had obviously either too much makeup on, or her plastic surgeon was going for the whole bimbo Barbie look. The woman was tanned, and her fake breasts looked like they would pop out of her halter top any minute now. Her artificial blonde hair shone in the moonlight, and her lips were unnaturally plump. Yep. Definitely plastic surgery. ''Ooooo, you must be Yukie's husband…."

''Boyfriend," I corrected.

As if she didn't trust my words, she grabbed my hands, ignoring the cold flesh, and looked at my ring finger. ''Yep, you're telling the truth. Ooooo, I knew Yukie never tied the knot. I'm surprised she got you. The girl's not that cute," she rudely remarked.

(Lady, you're one to talk. I'd take natural beauty over fake breasts any day,) I thought to myself. Of course, I wanted to say it out loud but. Her brain was probably smaller then her fake nose. It was no use arguing with people like this. Arguing with a brick wall would be more productive. ''Look, she's beautiful just the way she is, and she's a traditional Japanese beauty, too. Now, if you could mind your own business and state your purpose here, that would be awesome," I hissed.

The bimbo woman frowned. ''Meanie. I just saw you guys come in that apartment together, and I thought you two were… you know.…" She winked at me and did an obscene gesture.

I nearly cringed. ''Ma'am, that is private, and you came to see what we were doing just so you can gossip about her. I can tell, so stop with the whole friendly neighbor act," I said grouchily.

Just like that, her true colors started to show. Poking me with her hot pink stiletto nails, she got in my face. Well, she tried too. The woman was at least 4'1, and I was much taller than her, but that didn't seem to bother her at all. Standing on her tippy toes, she gave me the meanest scowl ever. It reminded me of a chihuahua trying to intimidate a Doberman. ''Listen. I could care less about Yukie. I just came to rub in her face that her apartment complex burned down. Like, six people are dead, and ten are injured, and I was hoping she was still inside but no! I swear life is so unfair at times, but like I care about others. Toodles!" She chirped before giving me the finger and sauntering off.

My eyes widened. This could only mean one thing: the Sabbat had attacked, hoping Yukie was there. We are either going to have to watch our backs or leave LA entirely. Yukie threw the door open frantically grabbing my arm. ''My house is on fire!" She yelled, rushing me out with her.

Several minutes later

We arrived to what was once a cozy apartment complex. Policemen and ambulances were swarming everywhere like light-up moths. Yukie's friends were waiting outside talking to a police officer, and when they saw her walk up safe and sound, they bum-rushed her, nearly knocking me down. The women ignored me entirely and checked their friend for any injuries, even though there were none present. "Where were you, girl? You had us worried. We thought you died!" They both said in unison.

''I'm fine, really, but my house and… Oscar! Where is Oscar?! I need him!" Yukie yelped.

The girls frowned and took a step back. "Yukie, Oscar is dead…The fire… It spread. He's gone, babe," the black-haired girl said. She was Nigerian, and the red/silver-haired girl behind her looked down. ''I'm sorry, Yukie..."

At that, Yukie started to break down crying. Oscar was her best friend. And I know she loved him dearly. I wasn't good with cheering people up, but I knew I had to try. So, I awkwardly took her into my arms in a hug I hoped didn't seem forceful or creepy. Yukie started to calm down a bit, but now her friends turned their attention on me. ''Now, who are you, and what do you want from our friend? You aren't her boyfriend are you. " The black girl asked rudely looking me down.

''I hope not. He's, like, 30 something. He's probably her sugar daddy or Splenda daddy. Just look at those clothes. He looks like he can shop at Gucci or whatever," the Irish girl piped up.

''Hey. I am her boyfriend, and I'm only 23, and I'm not her sugar daddy," I said in a matter-of-fact tone.

That only caused the kine to giggle in amusement. ''Leave him alone, you guys," Yukie muttered grouchily, and that got them to stop.

''Hey, look. We're sorry, okay? It's just… You had us scared there, and now you have a new boyfriend? What happened with Eric?" The black girl asked.

Yukie shot her a pleading look, and in turn, the Irish girl nudged her arm roughly to shut her up. ''My name's Chelsea by the way and this is Adannaya ," the Irish girl said, gesturing to her friend who still had her eyes locked on me and Yukie.

I was going to reply when an older Japanese woman in her 20s ran up to us. ''Yukie, thank God you're okay. Mr. O told us everything," she said, looking Yuki over for injuries.

Yukie assured her she was fine but the woman wasn't having any of it. ''Haruhi I'm okay I was with my boyfriend tonight. " Yukie said.

''Boyfriend," Haruhi repeated, glancing over to me. I thought she was going to cuss me out, but instead, she excitedly pulled me into a hug. ''Boyfriend. That's great. You must bring him home to Japan to see aunty and uncle. They'll love him. It's your birthday in two days. Soon, you'll be 19, and I know the drinking age there is 20, but we'll pour you a cup of sake anyway!" She said, letting go of me and excitedly hugging Yukie next. "Just as long as you don't tell anyone," she added jokingly, giving me a mischievous wink so I knew she was joking. I didn't want to, but somehow, we ended up in a maid cafe where Yukie worked. Her boss had heard the news as well, and told her to take time off. He'd pay her anyway, and he gave his condolences over Oscar, too, which made Yukie start to tear up again. The balding man apologized profusely.

The place was designed to look like a little cottage, something you'd see out of fairytale books. Besides all the cute scantily clad maids, the place wasn't that bad until they started singing. Yukie could tell I was getting irritated, so she took me out back where they kept the patio furniture for the guests who liked to eat outside. Chelsea and Adannaya were busy eating two peach parfaits that smelled really good. Man, I wish I could eat human food again. Chelsea noticed me staring and pushed the parfait my way. ''Hey, I still don't trust you, man, but you treat our friend like a queen so you can have some if you want," she offered.

''Um, no, thanks. I'm allergic to peaches," I lied.

''What really? That sucks. I feel bad for you. You're missing out," She replied back, stuffing a glop of the parfait in her mouth, only to start choking up a storm.

Adannaya quickly came to her aid. ''Chelsea, don't rush, man. I'm not performing CPR on you!" She threatened.

Yukie smiled and shook her head. ''If it's okay with you, I'd like you to come with me to Japan. It's only for a week. I promise," she said. She had no need to ask. I'd follow her anywhere.

''No need to ask. It's your birthday, and I want everything to be special. Besides, I've never traveled outside the country before. It'll be fun, but you'll have to be my translator," I said, taking her hands in mine.

She kissed me excitedly. ''Great. Haruhi will book our flight tonight. Oh, and she said bring your friends.…oh. Sorry," she said, remembering that I had to leave my old friends behind.

''No, it's okay. I'll find somebody," I replied back. My cellphone rang and I excused myself to the bathroom. It was from the prince himself. I looked around to make sure no kine were around before entering a stall and closing the door behind me and answering the call. Prince William was frantic, bombarding me with requests to save his daughter. He told me he'd finance my wedding if I accepted, and he told me the Nosferatu had found out they were planning to move her to Japan tomorrow. ''What luck, sir. I'm heading to Japan for my girlfriend's birthday tomorrow," I said, hoping to at least make him shut up. Hopefully, Maria wasn't dead. The Sabbat were a nasty bunch.

''Splendid! Get there immediately! You will fly today, no need to go tomorrow! I will fund your flight! I'm sure your girlfriend would love that. Now, get here to my home quickly and bring your girlfriend!" He demanded.

At that he hung up, and I sighed, clutching my phone angrily. ''Stupid Lacroix family….." After that, I left the stall bumping into a morbidly obese guy who cursed at me on my way out. Ignoring him, I walked back outside, greeting a young maid on her way in. Yukie was talking with the other girls, and they stopped to look at me before resuming the conversation they were having previously. I texted a few of my friends at the last round and Knox, but considering how today went, I'm sure he doesn't want to be bothered right now. ''Guess who got first class tickets for free?!" I announced, finally getting their attention for real this time.

The girls looked at me questioningly, except for Haruhi, who was like a female version of Knox. ''What? Really? How?" She asked.

"I know a guy," I said.

Haruhi smiled. "I knew my little cousin picked a good man come on girls," she said happily.

''Cousin?" I asked, confused.

''Yeah. Me and Yukie are cousins. Don't we look alike to you?" She asked.

''Not really.… "

''Of course, we do! Don't be silly. Now, come on!'' She said, dragging everyone including me away with her.

After that, and an hour of Haruhi's overly chatty nature, we arrived at Lacroix's building. Well, what was left of it. We were immediately ushered to a huge gold plane that even Bill Gates himself would be jealous of. Stepping inside, I groaned. Vv was sitting far away from Louis, who was desperately trying to get her to look at him. Isaac and Romero, who sat next to him, were busily looking through a food menu while the flight attendant waited patiently for him to order something. In the far back was Knox, who looked as miserable as a man who found out his wife was cheating him. To my utter disgust, Kevin was here, and the fucker had the audacity to wave at me. I hissed at him, causing him to recoil but giggle like the madman he was. ''Who invited him?" I asked Romero, and he shrugged.

''I did, but I'm sure you don't mind. Kevin here loves Japan. Isn't that right, Kevin?" Louis said.

Kevin wasn't really paying attention, and he began playing Angry Birds on his phone. ''Yeah, sure," he said.

''Look, young ones. Let's just please get along. This is for the princess," Isaac reminded us.

He was partially right, but really, I was doing this for Yukie. Yukie, of course, stayed close to me, not wanting to get near the other vampires that were around us. She saw Vv staring and scowled at her before cuddling close to me. I could have sworn you could feel the anger fueling off her.

Vv leaned over, baring her fangs at Yukie, who was too busy playing in my hair to notice. Isaac noticed and held Vv back, shaking his head no. Chelsea noticed Louis checking his hair in the mirror and quickly sat next to him. Louis wasn't interested in women. He was gay. Chelsea didn't pick up on that and tried to flirt, causing the Toreador to look at her in annoyance and get up to move to another seat. I tried not to laugh. I really did but I couldn't help. Still, I restrained myself and stopped myself from laughing too much. After a few snickers, I calmed down. After that, the humans ordered their food. Haruhi still was excited. She obviously hasn't flown first class before, and it showed. The pilot prepared for lift off, and after that, we all were off.

Meanwhile

A kindly old lady who lived near the apartment complex heard some scratching and a weak meow outside her door. She opened the door to see a burnt-looking cat standing outside her door. The cat immediately dashed in, leaving a trail of smoke in his wake. It didn't take too long for the woman to find him curled up in front of the heater, shivering. "Oh, you poor thing," she said, taking a look at the collar that had managed to stay on the cat. "Don't you worry, Oscar," she said. "I'll get you some cat food first thing in the morning," she added as she walked back to her bedroom. First thing the next day, she'd get some cat food so she could feed the cat until she could return him to his owners.

To be continued….

Edited by Darkest Nightmare's Dread


	8. Chapter 8

The flight to Japan was long and hectic. Luckily for us, the airplane's windows were sun-proof, making it safe for our kind, and soon I found myself slipping off into a coma-like dream.

*A day later*

The plane landed as the sun was starting to set in Japan. The kindred there were starting to come out. The city was huge and beautiful, as lights from trains, billboards, and lights from stores glittered in the sky, which was now becoming dark. The plane gently landed, skidding to a halt. This scared the kine out of their sleep, except for Romero, who was out like a light. Knox popped awake, startled at first, and he took a few minutes as he tried to figure out where he was before unbuckling his seat belt and getting up to stretch. Everyone piled out of the plane, and Isaac faced me. His tired, aging face looking skeptically at me and Yukie and her friends. He looked like he wanted to ask something, but he stopped himself. ''I assume you have a hotel for yourself and your girlfriend's friends?" He eventually asked.

I hope he wasn't thinking this was an orgy or anything inappropriate going on between me and these bunch of girls. I don't need any rumors spreading around, especially not right now. ''I'll be staying with my girlfriend and her aunt and uncle, sir. They invited me here for Yukie's birthday," I replied as respectfully as possible.

Isaac cleared his throat but nodded. ''Very well, young one. Enjoy your night. Please do not hesitate to call for help or if you need anything," He said calmly.

Vv was watching from a distance, while Louis himself intertwined his fingers with hers. Surprisingly, she let him, and he pulled her away. Knox was talking to Romero about something that I couldn't hear from so far away. When Knox became close enough to talk to, I stepped away from everyone and pulled him to the side. ''Hey. I saw what Bertram did to you, and I wanted to let you know if you are fine with it, I can become your new master. That's only if you want, though. I'm not forcing you. If you want me to be your new master, just say yes, or no. It's up to you."

Knox bit his lip and looked down at the ground. ''Yes, I'd like that, thank you," He muttered.

I turned to Isaac, who was busy chatting with Louis. Walking over, Louis raised an eyebrow and crossed his arms. ''Can we help you, Daniel? You seem lost," Louis asked, obviously irritated that I just interrupted his conversation.

I ignored him and turned to the baron. ''Isaac, please forgive me for interrupting your conversation, but I would like to take Knox along with us if that's okay with you," I asked.

The baron gave a awkward smile. ''Yes, that would be perfectly fine, but….." He pulled me closer to him so he could whisper in my ear. ''Please do keep an eye on him. He's not himself after the little incident with Bertram Tung, and he's been drinking way too excessively so make sure he doesn't hurt himself," The baron said. Knox walked up, and Isaac quickly took Louis and Vv and called Romero over and left, while Kevin had followed behind them slowly looking back at me with those creepy mitch matched eyes of his. Gosh, I'd love to poke them out or punch them out one of these days. Stupid Kevin. Ever since he came along, he's been a pain in my backside.

I watched them leave, leaving us alone. ''What were you two talking about?" Knox asked, suspicious of Isaac's sudden behavior.

''Nothing. We were just talking about Princess Maria," I lied, hoping he'd just drop the subject and leave it be.

Thankfully he fell for it, which is great. because I didn't want to lose his trust. After several minutes, a big van pulled up to us, honking loudly and startling us both. Rolling the window down, a very friendly elderly Japanese man waved at us. ''Yukie, we're here to pick you guys up and…. Oh, are you her boyfriend?" He said, loudly pointing to Knox, who quickly shook his head no.

''Sir, that would be me. You must be her uncle. My name is Daniel," I replied politely.

The old man just looked at me with a huge grin before letting out a loud thunder-like laugh. Hopping out the car, the short man grabbed my hand firmly and shook the life out of it. ''I already know who you are, boy. Haruhi told me all about you, said you even got money, too. Good to know my niece is in good hands. I want her to be a billionaire," he said happily, slapping me on the shoulder.

The old man then opened the door for us all to pile in, and an hour later, we arrived at a Japanese-style house that looked old but still in great shape. You could tell it was the traditional type because of the style and old bamboo paper sliding doors. There was a nice pond nearby, and on closer inspection, I could see huge koi fish swimming about. Some were poking their heads out of the water. A little girl in a pink kimono came out of the house, struggling with a big sack of something, and as soon as we pulled up, Yukie noticed the child was leaning dangerously close to the water's surface. Hopping out quickly she ran up to catch her before she fell in. ''Emiri, how many times do we have to tell you not to try to feed the koi fish yourself? You aren't big enough yet! That bag weighs more than you!" Yukie scolded.

The brunette haired little girl looked down and kicked at a pebble that was laying on the ground nearby. ''I'm sorry, cousin Yukie, but I was eating a peanut butter and jelly sandwich and they looked hungry too, so I decided I should feed them. Nobody else did it today. " She replied back quickly, trying to justify her actions.

Yukie shook her head no. ''Emiri, do I need to take away your TV privileges, because I will," she threatened.

That quickly got the child's attention. ''No, please. I'll be a good girl!" She promised, jumping up and down.

Yukie smiled. ''Now go clean up your room. We're having guests over for the night." Obediently nodding yes, the little girl ran inside, tripping on her way out before getting back up again.

''Awww is she your little sister?" I asked.

Yukie shook her head no. ''No, she's my little cousin. We're very close, but she's still a handful. Every six-year-old is." Yukie said before helping her grandfather out the van.

Chelsea and Adannaya got out the van, stretching their tired joints and closing the door behind him. The old man then realized something. ''I'm sorry, kids. I forgot to tell you my name. My name is Daizō, but you can call me uncle Daizō. What is your name?" He asked pointing to Knox.

''Knox Harrington, sir….." Knox replied, his words lacking the usual happy energy and extraordinary loudness it usually had. Poor guy.

''Well, it's nice to meet you, Knox. I hope you'll enjoy your stay with us. It's getting late for an old geezer like me, but you kids can go explore the town if you like. Just stay away from the alleys and other suspicious places. Folks have been saying weird creatures have been popping up, lately especially by the beach. Now, I'm not religious, so I don't believe in the supernatural but seeing how those bodies have been turning up, I'm starting to believe something really is out there," the old man said, stretching and locking the car. He beckoned us inside.

The house smelled of unique exotic spices, and it was very warm inside due to all the humidity and heat that built up from the cooking. A middle-aged woman in her fifties came out to greet us. ''Chelsea and Adannaya, it's so good to see you again and … Oh, who are they?" She asked pointing to me and Knox.

''Aunty, this is my boyfriend Daniel, and his friend Knox. I thought Haruhi already told you, but they're joining us for my birthday. I hope that's okay with you." She added.

''Well, of course it is. I'm so glad you finally found someone I was afraid you were going to die alone." The chubby old woman said, pulling a pie from the oven. It was cherry flavor, which I liked, but knew I couldn't have. ''By the way young man just call me aunt Hiroe. Yukie here.Has been telling me all about you. 

 

''Aunty, stop! You're embarrassing me!" Yukie whined, but the old woman just chuckled.

''Oh, quit your crying. I was just poking fun at you, dear," she said cheerfully. ''Chelsea, could you be a dear and make some green tea, please?"

''Sure thing, Ms. Hiroe," Chelsea replied. Getting up, Chelsea got up to get the green tea jar that was sitting inside the left shelf next to the fridge, but when she opened it, she frowned. ''Um… Ms. Hiroe, we can't have any green tea tonight.…." She said.

Turning around and dusting her hands off, the old woman cocked an eyebrow at her. ''And why is that, dear? I just bought that green tea. There should be still some left. Why, that thing cost me 40 yen!" The elderly woman exclaimed.

Chelsea went over and showed her the empty jar while Yukie and Adannaya looked at each other. Aunt Hiroe crinkled her nose turning red from anger. She shuffled up the stairs and yelled loudly. ''ACE, GET DOWN HERE RIGHT THIS INSTANT, YOUNG MAN!" Shuffling noises and a door sliding open could be heard upstairs. Coming down the steps, a mildly buff Japanese man in his 20's appeared. He was wearing striped grey pajamas and his artificially red hair was disheveled and messily clung to his face from the sweat. ''Look at you! Just messy as always. Why did you drink all the green tea? Now I'm going to have to go out and buy more. I swear you can be so selfish at times!" The old woman ranted. ''Lucky for you I have to go pick up Yukie's birthday cake. I almost forgot about it, but seeing how you drank all the green tea, I'll need to go out and buy more anyway." Turning around, she smiled sweetly at us as if we didn't just witness her yelling at the young man. "You kids are welcome to come with me if you like," she offered. Yukie and I both declined, but Chelsea and Adannaya decided to take her up on her offer.

Grabbing her purse, Aunt Hiroe shooed the girls out the door, leaving us four alone in the kitchen. Yukie's uncle's phone rang and he frowned. ''Sorry kids. I need to go. They need me back at the lab."

"The lab?" I asked.

''Are you a scientist or a test subject?" Knox asked. I was surprised he asked, considering that he was antisocial his whole time here.

The question seemed to crack uncle Daizō up because he nearly fell over from laughing too hard.  
''Oh no, boys. I'm a scientist I study botany I've always loved plants and my mother always told me that I had a green thumb."

''Aw, that's cool. Never been good at taking care of plants…." Knox replied picking at some loose skin on his hand.

''Well, if you like, maybe I can show you around the lab tomorrow. We have some interesting specimens coming in today I'm sure you two might like. but enough talk. I have to go now. Just when I was about to go to sleep, too. Darn job…" At that, the old man hurried out leaving me, Knox, Yukie, and Ace to ourselves.

''Well, I'm going to go shower, boys, so try not to get in any trouble, okay?" She asked, going up the stairs and leaving us three alone.

Knox decided he wanted to step out for a second, leaving me with Ace. When he thought no one was looking, he quickly pushed me hard against the wall, knocking a few spices off their racks. And I immediately knew where this was going. ''Look, man. I don't know you, but what are your plans with my little cousin?" He asked.

His hot breath smelled of cheap beer and slightly stale doughnuts. I felt myself starting to get very angry. I hated when other guys tried to play the tough guy. If only he knew I could tear him apart easily if I wanted to. Honestly, it wouldn't be hard. It would be like ripping the delicate petals off of a flower. Gently removing his hands from me, I bared my fangs at him and lifted him up by the collar of his shirt. The man's eyes widened in terror. ''Look, man. I'm sorry, okay?! Just …… uh …… um … be cool. It's no reason to hurt people, man!" He whimpered.

I smirked. ''Oh, not so Mr. Tough guy now, huh? You were hostile towards me first. This is only self-defense and don't worry. I won't hurt you." I promised.

Noticing my fangs, he started to shake from fear. ''What are you? Are those fangs?" He asked.

''Now, now. That's not how you treat your cousin's boyfriends Don't you worry. I won't hurt her or you, but you're feisty. I like that. I think you'll make an excellent ghoul." Using my free hand, I bit into my wrist and offered it to him.

''What the hell! What kind of demonic ritual shit is this? Yukie! Yukie, help!" He called out. Yukie couldn't hear him due to the loud Japanese pop music playing upstairs. Forcing my bleeding wrist to his mouth, I watched him suck greedily. Decided he had enough, I placed him on the ground. Ace's eyes were now open and he looked at me in shock and admiration. ''What did you do to me? I feel incredible like I can do anything and take on anyone?" He asked.

I smiled. I explained to him what little I could so that he would understand and that he must never tell anyone about this. ''And one more thing. You will call me master, but not around in public or your family. I don't want them getting suspicious or creeped out. You will return with me to America in three days and you will serve me. In return, I give you my blood. Is that a deal?" I asked.

Ace shook his head immediately. ''Yes, master. Whatever you say," Ace bowed before me before going back upstairs. Knox came back outside and I took him to the side and reopened up my wrist, which had already resealed itself within minutes. He drank without hesitation.

*10 minutes later *

*Yukie's p.o.v *

Stepping out of the shower, I dried off my hair before wrapping a towel around myself. Going into my cousin's room, I borrowed a couple of her clothes while I went to my room, which was like the one I had before it burned down. I didn't even want to even think about what happened, especially what happened to Oscar. I was homeless for the time being, and who knows if that apartment we currently are staying in is permanent or not? I tried not to think about that, not now. Today was supposed to be a good day for all of us. Plus, my birthday is coming up soon.

 

Throwing my dirty clothing in the washer, I slipped on a fresh pair of underwear and my bra and dressed in my cousin's floral dress. I'm sure Haruhi wouldn't mind. She never wears this thing, anyway. Going back into my cousin's room, I took a perfume bottles off her vanity table, took a whiff and crinkled my face up. Definitely not this. It smells like stale cotton candy in my opinion. Picking up the perfume bottle next to it, I sniffed it. It was just right and smelled mature. Not old-people mature, but young-woman mature. Looking at the bottle closer, I read "by Halle Barry". Deciding this was the one I wanted I sprayed it on. It was so many perfumes to choose from, but knowing Haruhi, if she caught me in her room, she'd have a fit.

Heading out quickly, I went downstairs. Aunty had returned home and she stopped and smiled. ''That dress looks lovely on you. Now, if only Haruhi would just wear it. I don't know why she hates floral dresses. I think they're just darling on her, but enough of that. Dinner's ready, dear.  
We're having grilled squid, rice, crab, and baked fish. There's fresh green tea on the table, and for desert, we're having cherry pie and vanilla ice cream," Aunt Hiroe said. Ace and Haruhi started arguing downstairs. ''Come, dear. Your cousins are already fighting over the food."

I smiled. ''Thanks, aunty. I'm coming down soon, I promise." My aunt smiled and went to break up Haruhi and ace's fight.

Walking into the kitchen, I saw Emiri was talking Daniel's head off about her imaginary friend Poppy. Now this would have annoyed any able-bodied adult but not Daniel. He actually sat down and listened to what she had to say. He didn't mind sitting on his knees at the Japanese style table and pretended to take bites of the squid he was eating to appear as normal as possible. 

 

(Poor thing. Probably wants to throw up,) I thought to myself. Chelsea was struggling to use chopsticks, and Adannaya, who had obviously given up minutes ago with the two wooden stick nightmares, switched to a fork to eat her food, only using her hands to get the darn crab me out of its shell. I smiled. Everything was how it should be, and I was glad my family was getting used to him. ''And then and then um……" Emiri trailed off.

''Emiri, sweetheart, let Daniel finish his meal. See, Knox isn't talking while he eats," Aunty said as she gestured to Knox, who was busy trying to carefully separate his chopsticks without breaking them, which he had done a couple of times because there were two broken chopsticks right next to him. Going over, I gently showed him how to separate the twin chopsticks without breaking them. Muttering his thanks, the man began eating his food. Whoever he was, he seemed sad about something. I wanted to ask him what was bothering him, but I thought it would be rude to. It's not like we know each other or anything. I just hope it wasn't anything too serious. When I sat down to eat, that's when things started getting awkward. ''So, when are you two getting married?" She asked.

Haruhi gave our aunt a wide grin, but clearly, this wasn't anything funny. Daniel shifted in his chair uncomfortably. ''We aren't deciding on children yet, but we do plan on getting married," he muttered nervously, giving her eye contact to avoid being disrespectful.

Pleased with that reply she turned to face me. ''You should have babies, Yukie. Life is short but family is forever."

"Aunty, please. Can we talk about this later?" I asked. Emiri giggled when our old fat cat Snowflake ate the squid she dropped on the floor. I was wondering where that cat was. I'm surprised she's still alive, considering how fat she is.

''Fine, but me and you and Daniel here are going to have a little chat later on. Your birthday cake's in the fridge. Tomorrow, we're getting up early to set up for your party. Your grandmother and grandpa want to wish you a happy birthday. Hopefully, they're well enough to come… oh, and here." Digging in her purse, aunt Hiroe pulled out a green envelope that had a big teddy bear face on it. ''Uncle Yoshiki sends his love. He's sorry he can't make it to your party sweetheart, but he's giving you this. Spend it wisely," she said.

Taking the green envelope, I opened it. 400 bucks in yen fell out with a hello kitty birthday card that sang happy birthday when you opened it. I smiled. ''Thank you, and tell him I said thank you as well." I said.

Aunty smiled. ''Of course, dear. I'm going to clean up and go to bed. You guys go have fun.  
If you need anything, just call, and girls, there's 50 yen for you both on the bookcase," she said turning to Chelsea and Adannaya.

The girls smiled. ''Thanks. You're the coolest. " Adannaya commented. Aunty was always the nicest. It made sense. She was my mom's twin, but mom's gone now.

After dinner. I put Emiri to bed and grabbed Daniel's hand. ''Do you guys want to go shopping today?" I asked.

Chelsea and Adannaya shook their heads no. ''Sorry babe, but we're tired," Adannaya said, getting up and helping my aunt with the dishes. 

''Yeah, I'm with Adannaya. Maybe tomorrow but you and Daniel can go we'll stay here." Chelsea piped up.

I shrugged. ''Suit yourself." I replied grabbing the spare house key underneath the old flower pot and leaving out with Daniel.

''You guys stay safe there's been dead people getting dumped around lately the police think it's a serial killer on the loose!" Aunty called out.

''We will." I promised.

''And be back by 10. I mean it, Yukie!" Aunty yelled. Closing the door behind us.

I looked at Daniel who had been looking at the cherry blossom trees that decorated the streets and spilled pink petals everywhere it was a beautiful site except if you had severe allergies.  
''Hey, you must be getting hungry. Go out hunting. I'll wait for you three blocks away near those vending machines," I said pointing over to the right side of the street.

''Yeah, I am hungry, and I'm glad your aunt didn't question me on why I only wanted squid. It all tastes like dirt, anyway. No offense," he replied.

I giggled. ''No need to apologize. I understand completely. Now, go before you do that frenzy thing you mentioned," I said, pushing him playfully. He smiled and left.

 

To be continued.…..


	9. Chapter 9

*Daniel's p.o.v *

A young jogger was out running and was paying absolutely no attention to where he was going, which was perfect because it made him easy prey. The guy jogged all the way to an empty parking lot, and I knew I had him. Creeping up, I was just about to sink my fangs into his neck when suddenly, a blurry of red and purple streaked by, tackling the guy first. Of course… other kindred were out tonight. Looking closer, I realized that bastard Louis stole my dinner! After laying the guy down where other kine could find him, propping him up near a telephone pole, Louis looked at me triumphantly and smugly. ''You're cute, you know that?" I said sarcastically.

''Sorry, sweetie. Did I steal your dinner?" He asked smirking.

That's when I totally lost it. ''Look, I don't know what your problem is, but why do you hate me? I've never did anything bad to you!" I hissed. I wish I was a gangrel so that I could sprout claws and rip his throat out.

Taken back by my anger, Louis flipped the luxurious red curls framing his face. ''It's because you killed him…." He muttered. 

If it wasn't for our superhearing I never would have heard it. ''Killed who?" I asked.

''Sebastian, of course. He was my… Never mind. You'd never understood," he trailed off.

My face softened, and I pushed the beast back down which was threatening to claw its way out. I knew I had to eat soon or I'd frenzy. ''Look. I didn't kill him, okay? Someone else set that bomb. Why would I go out of my way to hurt the guy? Yeah sure, he's a asshole, but I don't kill unless I need to," I replied back. The hunger was starting to get the best of me, and I couldn't think straight.

Louis took notice of that and felt regret, seeing that I was telling the truth. ''Look, I still don't like you, but you don't seem like a bad guy. So, let's try to at least get along, now. Come on. You look like you're close to frenzying. Lucky for you, there's a blood bank nearby, and I happen to be fluent in Japanese," he said, offering his hand. I took it, and I saw him wince a bit. d let's do something about those cuticles later on, too. Your nails look disgusting, baby boy." Not really paying attention to what he was saying anymore, I allowed myself to lead away.  
Hopefully he wasn't lying about the blood bank.

Meanwhile

*At the Sabbat haven *

*Princess Maria's p.o.v *

I awoke in a daze. I didn't know where I was, but the room I was in… Wait. Could it even be considered a room? The place smelled like feces, urine, and rotting flesh, and the walls oozed something brown and slimy that smelled horrendous. I tried to move, but I couldn't and once my eyes adjusted to the dark, I noticed there was a large metal collar around my neck. When I tried to take it off, it burned me like fire. It was if the sun itself was around my neck, and I quickly removed my hands from my neck to avoid even more unnecessary pain. My dress was covered in filth, and I felt something run up my leg. Shrieking, I kicked my legs, only to discover they were chained up as well. The cockroach that had been crawling on me fell on its back, frantically struggling to get back up. Suddenly, the door to the room swung open and a nasty looking gangrel appeared. He was raggedy looking and was missing an eye. When he came closer, I could smell the rotten blood on his breath. Taking a sharp nail, he ran his finger down my dress, ripping it down the front.

My eyes slanted angrily. Hissing at him, I hit him as hard as I could, but it was no use. I didn't know how to fight, and his leathery flesh probably made my hits feel like love taps. Ripping the dress from my body, he admired every curve, perversely satisfied with his actions. He tried to go for my bra and underwear next, but I kept my legs shut and covered my chest with my arms.  
That only seemed to make him angry because he slapped me as hard as he could. Vitae poured from my nose, and he smirked. Shredding my underwear, he dragged me by my arm out the door, leading me out of the disgusting basement. As soon as we got closer, the artificial light of the open area assaulted my eyes. Suddenly eyes of every man there were on me. Their lustful gazes and lip smacking lingered on me until the male gangrel gave them a death stare and the filth of the earth that called themselves men backed off. That didn't stop a few male Nosferatu from trying to take a few pictures of me with their mobile devices. From the growls I heard, they were pressing the wrong buttons. Dumb Sabbat. They couldn't send a text message if their afterlife depended on it.

Leading me to a luxurious hall that was decked out in gold and pearls, the gangrel pushed me inside. The room was a big washroom the type you'd see in a palace. It would be lovely if there weren't lewd sexual acts decoratively carved into the wall. ''Bath now…." The gangrel said. He sounded like he was trying to be friendly, but it came out sounding more like a threat. The gangrel excused himself, which I was glad for. Removing what remained of my clothes, I eased myself into the water. Considering where I was, it wasn't half bad. It wasn't half good, either. I took a quick look around the room, and realized that there was only one exit: the door I had entered through. Not knowing when the gangrel would return, I tried to get myself as clean as I could in a few minutes, and wrapped myself in a towel that luckily hid all the important bits. Minutes later, the gangrel took me to a nearby room that had a big wardrobe in the center, and I hesitantly looked at it. He nudged me closer, and I opened it slowly. Inside the wardrobe there was hundreds of slutty, exotic costumes that I wouldn't dare be caught dead in. ''I'm not wearing that don't you have anything modest?" I asked. The gangrel shook his head no, shrugging. I saw him pick up a see-through red lingerie set that left nothing to the imagination. One move at all, and your body would be even more exposed. He tossed it over to me, but I snorted and tossed it back in the closet and he picked up a sheer Star Wars Slave Leia themed costume and threw it at me. ''Put on." He commanded, before curling up on the floor. Frowning, I looked in the closet, and found a less revealing bronze-colored version. Reluctantly, I dropped the towel and put the costume on. My butt was showing, but at least my nipples were covered. Digging through the wardrobe, I put on some gold jewelry.

After I dressed, the gangrel pushed me out of the room. I guess I was moving way too slow because he picked me up cave man style and threw me over his shoulder. Taking me upstairs, he took me to another room, but this one had a large ivory door that looked like the one in heaven, where the souls of the kind hearted and those blessed by God himself would be welcomed into Heaven, but no, it wasn't. This was reality, and whatever was behind that door was my fate. The gangrel knocked on the door. It swung open, and there sitting on her throne was that traitorous demon Eliza herself. She sat on a luxurious throne made of gold and other expensive materials, drinking a glass of the blood of her victims. If I were still alive, my heart would have stopped beating. ''Wonderful. You have her, Marcus. Bring her to me," Eliza said tossing the glass goblet to the ground. I winced as the blood and glass showered everywhere.

Frightened ghouls quickly ran to clean it up. Smirking, she used another ghoul as a foot rest.  
Marcus obediently walked up avoiding the ghouls and glass, and gently put me by her feet. Eliza smirked. ''That prude dress you had on earlier looks hideous compared to this costume. Now, everyone can see your curves. Everything looks fantastic," she commented, running her eyes over my body. Feeling violated, I looked away from her, but she turned my head roughly to get a better look at my face. ''Maria LaCroix, you are breathtaking. No wonder your clan is so rare. Beauty like this is hard to find, the  
secs agoHer comments made my skin itch and crawl. ''I don't know what you're talking about. I'm a Ventrue," I lied. 

Hearing that, Eliza threw her head back, laughing cruelly. ''Don't play dumb with me, child. Everyone here knows you're really a Salubri. I should just take your power and soul for myself, but like I said, you will remain here for our personal amusement," she hissed. I tried to back away from her, but she threw a chain that connected perfectly around my collar. ''No use fighting. That collar around you was made by ancient Tremere. It's made to hinder the powers of any kindred that wears it. We couldn't have you running off now, could we?" She asked.

''You won't get away with this my father will have you staked and out to greet the sunrise!" I spat. But that only made her giggle more.

''Your father will never save you. Who knows? He's probably dead. I hope he liked that little gift I planted. It was a real blast," she said in a sing song voice.

''You're a monster!" I hissed, but she ignored my little outburst. ''We're all monsters, little girl. I used to be Catholic, but I'm sure God doesn't hear the prayers of a lowly Salubri, or any prayers at all. No one in this world can defeat me. I am mighty and eternal, and if you disobey me, I promise you'll be sent back to your family in an urn," she threatened.

At that, she kicked me aside and I winced. "He'll send someone to stop you," I snarled.

Eliza laughed. "Who would he send?" She said, her voice dripping with sarcasm before leaving the cold room entirely.

I was completely lost. What was I going to do? I was a hundred miles away from father and held captive. (Was i going to die here?) I thought to myself before sobbing.

''Hey, stop that. Quit crying. You're too pretty for that," a raspy voice said from out of nowhere.

Looking for the bodiless voice I looked around. ''Who… Who said that? I asked.

''I did…." The voice said. Suddenly, I felt a large pain in my head, and then nothing but red filled my vision. The smell of blood filled the air. My blood. Someone had hit me in the head with a baseball bat. I saw a 9-foot-tall Tzimisce standing over me, with a midget Malkavian on his shoulder. Shaking his head sadly, the little Malkavian looked at me. Before I blacked out, I heard ''Welcome to the real world, Princess…."

To be continued.…..

Edited by Darkest Nightmare's Dread


	10. Chapter 10

Waking up slowly, the pain from whatever those bastards hit me with hit me hard like a truck. The ringing in my ears wasn't any help, either. Honestly, it felt like I was alive again because it felt like a migraine, but two times worse. Scrambling to get on my feet, I noticed that I was not chained down, but instead, I was in some kind of luxurious bedroom. It looked way nicer than the one back home, but it lacked a happy and homey feel to it. Also, it looked like the bed Chambers from Snow White. Owned by the wicked queen, of course.

Black heavy curtains hung from the window, and blocked out the sun. I noticed they were made from a great quality cloth from Egypt. A purple-curtained bed canopy decorated the bed itself. Everything was regal but gothic, and whoever owned this room gave me bad vibes. I know we are monsters, but he or she seemed to like skulls especially of kine. For decoration a little too much and it made me cringe thinking about how many people died, for these decorations, and frankly my dear, I didn't want to think about that, especially not right now.

Looking over, I noticed a few blood packs in a bowl being chilled with ice. Feeling a bit hungry, I quickly went to look through the bowl, only to freeze where I stood. In the bowl, there was four blood bags labeled child, baby, old man, and virgin woman. Feeling disgusted with the other options, I chose the virgin and hungrily bit into the blood bag, drinking the entire thing. I sighed contently, feeling the pain in my head start to vanish and soon cease to a mild but bearable throbbing. Eventually, it would go away on its own.

Suddenly the door opened, scaring me half to death. I am already dead, but if I were kine still, I would have had a heart attack. That horrible woman Eliza was here again, and it didn't take a rocket scientist to know that this was her bedchambers. She smiled crudely at me before slamming the door behind her. She was so eager to get to me she forgot to lock the door.  
Using her shadows to bind me, she tossed me on the bed. Anxiety and fear began to wash over me. Eliza was known for her taste in love for women. I heard she was bisexual, but she enjoyed bedding women more than men, saying men are only good for work and business-related issues. Straddling me, she traced her long black nails down my breasts. ''Oh, look at you. Now that you're out of that dress, you look so much sexier. I'm going to enjoy having you as my personal little plaything," she cooed, smiling wickedly.

(Oh, fuck no!) I thought to myself. (I have never been attracted to women in my life, and I am not especially letting this Lasombra witch have her way with me! I have to get out of here!)

Her fingers fumbled up to my neck, unlocking, but not removing, the collar that weighed me down like a heavy button, staring hungrily at my neck. She quickly bit down on my neck, drinking my vitae. I was afraid she was going to diablarize me until she stopped and licked her lips. ''Amazing. You taste as sweet as wine, but so, so much more fulfilling. Let's get this over with. " She purred seductively, or at least she tried. That creepy Clotho lady from God of War would've done a better job. Not having any of that, I kicked her as hard as I could, catching her in the nose. I smiled, hearing a satisfying crunching noise from her nose breaking. She hissed before screaming in agony. Scrambling quickly to stop her bleeding nose, she let go of me and I took the chance to snatch the keys for my collar from her robe and make a run for it. Adrenaline and fear coursed through me as I ran for my life. Completely unlocking the collar, I tossed it on the ground, relieved to hear a heavy clank of it hitting the ground. ''STOP HER!! DON'T LET HER ESCAPE, AND IF SHE DOES, I'LL HAVE YOUR HEADS!!!!" Eliza screeched.

The hair on my back stood on edge as a flood of ghouls and wicked Cainites flooded the hallway.  
Using my Obeah discipline, my third eye opened immediately on my forehead, allowing me to see my enemies' weaknesses: a bright ray of light shot from my forehead, quickly incinerating any foe around me. Even in the face of final death, the Sabbat still wanted to fight. What kind of idiot keeps fighting after seeing his friends get destroyed? Common sense would tell them to head for the hills. Apparently, they were not present when God had passed out brains. The bastards don't seem to use them anyway. A gangrel viciously lunged at me, hoping to rip the flesh from my bones. Unfortunately, it was short lived because he met his final death when the ray from my third eye hit him. Hitting the ground, the gangrel desperately tried to rip out his insides before bursting into ash. Frightened ghouls and vamps that surprisingly had the common sense not to mess with me scattered away in fear.

I smirked. (Not so tough now, are you?) I thought to myself. Everything seemed to be going well before the hulking figure from earlier that had the audacity to hit me over the head stepped out before me. The dwarf Malkavian tsked his lips, while the highly deformed Tzimisce had an amused smile on his face. ''Now, now, little bird. Go back to the nest before mother bird finds out what you've done," the Malkavian commanded. His voice was raspy, and if it wasn't for my vampiric hearing, I wouldn't have heard it. It sounded like all he did was smoke cigarettes when he was alive.

"Stand aside or I'll have to kill you." I warned him, but that didn't faze the two at all because once again the giant took out another instrument of pain to bludgeon me with. This time, it was one of those hammer mallet things, like the one that Harley Quinn has. Swinging it quickly, he tried to hit me with it, but I snatched the chain that was around his neck and made him miss. Making a choking noise, the non-friendly giant fell on top of his companion, crushing him under his weight.

''LUTHER, GET OFF ME! YOU'RE CRUSHING ME, YOU IDIOT!" The Malkavian yelled, frantically trying to get the other man off of him, but it was to no avail.

Grabbing the huge mallet the Tzimisce had dropped, I summoned the strength I didn't know I had. The Malkavian's eyes widened in fear as he realized what I was going to do. Before he could other a single word, I brought the mallet down on both of their heads. A satisfying splattering noise was all that was heard in the silent hallway. Seconds later, they returned back to dust. ''Rot in hell, you bastards," I muttered before running out the door pushing a startled and confused ghoul out of the way, snatching the keys off him while I was at it. I managed to find the exit, but unfortunately, the one I wanted was full of guards and Tzimisce. I had to take the less favorable route, and to my dislike, it was a sewage drain. Delightful. What did I do in life to deserve this, I'll never know, but sitting down and feeling sorry for myself won't keep me alive.

I forced myself to trudge through the dirt, feces, and grime. I felt like a Nosferatu, and I was glad for once that I was dead, because if I were mortal, I'd die from all sorts of dirt, disease, and vermin that loitered this hell-hole.

I saw light, which I thought was a good sign but my shoe's heel broke, and I lost my footing falling deep in the water below. Once again, I tried to regain myself, but the water was too deep, and I didn't learn how to swim in my mortal life. My mind went blank and the world went black as the water swept me underneath. The only words I uttered were ''Fucking Eliza. I hope you rot in Hell for all eternity."

*Meanwhile At the blood bank*

*Louis's p.o.v*

Ah, Mortals. Who could hate them? It was so much fun to flirt my way to a good meal, and the cute receptionist at the desk was more than willing to part with four high quality blood bags: two for me, and two for Daniel. I spoke in her native tongue words of honey, and they rolled off my tongue like silk as the receptionist looked both ways before going in the back and handing the blood packs to us. She giggled as I took her hand in mine and placed the gentlest of kisses on it.

That seemed to do the trick, because she swooned and blushed. Daniel was starting to get a bit impatient, so I ushered him out and wished her a good night before we back out near a dark area to wolf down the blood packs, before anyone saw. ''Feeling better, Tremere boy?" I asked, crossing my arms.

Daniel threw the empty pack away and raised an eyebrow at me. ''Don't ever call me that again, and yes, I'm feeling much better, thank you," he replied back with a genuine smile.

''Good, good," I muttered. We heard giggling coming from around the corner, and me being the fabulous but nosy person I am. I just had to check it out. Daniel was busy checking his phone texting somebody. It was probably his girlfriend, but who knows. ''Come on, let's check it out," I said, tugging him by the arm.

''Why?" He asked.

''Because it'll be fun. Now, stop asking questions." I quipped. The other Cainite shrugged before allowing himself to be tugged along. It was disappointing really. I wanted him to put up so much more of a fight. He was kind of cute when he was angry, but a tremere is still a filthy tremere.  
Quietly walking up to where the sound of the giggling was coming from, we rounded the corner to see Kevin draining a young Japanese girl near to death. Before I could even call out, Daniel ran for him, punching him as hard as he could. I gasped and ran over to catch the girl. She was very beautiful, but pale and sickly looking because of Kevin. Her brunette hair was cut in a bob, and her sky-blue kimono was decorated with white doves and flowers and her own blood because of this monster.

''What were you thinking?! You could have killed her!" I heard Daniel snap at him.

Kevin laughed madly ''Just enjoying lunch before you two idiots interrupted,'' he casually replied, clutching his now bleeding face. I couldn't believe him. I know we prey on humans for nourishment, but draining them completely was morally wrong and against the masquerade, and here that bastard was draining people. He had no shame that he was basically out in the open.

''You son of a bitch. I'll let Isaac and the prince know what you did, " I heard Daniel threaten.

Kevin could care less. ''Gosh, you are so sensitive. See, this is why I like the Sabbat better. We kill for fun, and no one gets in trouble."

''You what? Sabbat…" Daniel uttered in complete disbelief, which made Kevin giggle like the nearly dead girl on the ground. ''Louis, you take her to the hospital. I'll deal with him. Here's my girlfriend's aunt and uncle's address. Meet me back there," he ordered. And for once I agreed with him. The last thing I heard was Kevin laugh maniacally and then scream once as I took the girl to safety. Fortunately, there was a festival taking place and cops were everywhere. They stopped me, seeing the girl in my arm. I lied and told them I had found her like this, and thankfully, they fell for it. Taking the girl, an ambulance was called, and she was escorted to the hospital, leaving me by myself to deal with the whole situation. I really didn't want to go see what happened to Kevin. I detested violence, and while I indulged in it when I had to, truly deep down, I am a pacifist.

Shaking what happened out of my thoughts, I texted Isaac where I was and when I'd be back and set out to a catch a bus to where Daniel's girlfriend was. Hopefully, the little brat wouldn't attack me. Stupid hunters.

*2 hours later *

*Daniel's p.o.v *

Returning back with Yukie, i was treated very unkindly when I was getting off the bus. The bus driver gave me a suspicious smile before bidding me a goodnight. Going up to Yukie's aunt and uncle's house, Yukie noticed the frowned plastered on my face. ''Babe, are you upset because they were rude to you? Don't feel too bad. Not all Japanese bus drivers or citizens are mean," she said as she tried to comfort me.

That wasn't the case. ''It's not the bus driver. It's Kevin," I replied.

Her eyebrows furrowed. ''Him again. What did he do now?" She asked.

''I'll tell you later, hun. I promise." I wasn't lying, but then again, I hoped she eventually will forget about it. Knowing Yukie, she has the memory of a genius. I can't even remember what day it was sometimes.

Digging in her purse, Yukie took out her keys and unlocked the door. To our surprise a bunch of her friends and family popped up and shouted ''HAPPY BIRTHDAY!" Yukie was startled at first by the sudden shouting, but remembered that today was indeed her birthday. She was so busy with everything that she had forgotten all about her special day. Happy faces and chattering relatives circled the both of us and dragged Yukie inside. The house was beautifully decorated with cutesy Pokemon characters, mainly Pikachu because he was the star of the whole show and their mascot. There also were presents and food everywhere and it all smelled delicious. Too bad I'm dead and I can't eat any of it.

Yukie's aunt Hiroe came out, holding a Pikachu shaped cake. ''There's the birthday girl. Come sit down, dear. The party's just beginning," she chirped happily, placing the cake down and ushering Yukie to a cutesy pink decorated chair that was decorated to look like a throne, just for this special occasion. Everyone began to sing happy birthday, but they sang in Japanese, so I couldn't follow along and ended up clapping awkwardly like a seal.

After the song was over, I noticed Louis flirting with one of Yukie's male cousins. He didn't seem to be trying to feed on him. Probably was just going to ghoul him. Everyone fell silent when uncle Daizō dimmed the lights. ''Okay, birthday girl. Make a wish," he said, pushing the cake towards her. Yukie smiled and blew out the candles while everyone cheered and clapped. Cutting the cake, aunt Hiroe passed out a good size chunk of cake to everyone in the room, which the guests happily accepted.

Emiri dived and ducked and eagerly pushed pass all her relatives to ensure she had the best piece of cake. Aunt Hiroe gently scolded her and gave her a piece of cake. The child bounced out the room happy and giggling, nearly knocking over Adannaya and Chelsea, who just walked into the room at the wrong time. Haruhi, unhappy with how unenthusiastic everyone was, decided to shake things up a bit. Standing up to stretch, she took a megaphone from out of her backpack.  
Where she got that thing, I'll never know. ''LISTEN UP, EVERYONE! ALL THIS CHIT CHAT IS BORING, SO LET'S OPEN PRESENTS INSTEAD!" She spoke out loudly, making myself and her family and friends cringe from the loud noise.

Swooping down like an eagle, uncle Daizō snatched the microphone from her. He spoke something in her ear that made her pout angrily like a little child. Grabbing a chair, she sat on it legs crossed and refused to talk for the time being. After cake, everyone started to eat what food was available. There was pizza, BBQ, salad, chicken, etc., and I envied all the kine who were still alive to eat it. Ace quickly saw me standing by myself, looking at everyone else eat, and ran to my side. ''Can I get you anything, mas… I mean, Daniel?"

I looked at him from the corner of my eye and shook my head no. ''Not right now, but thank you, Ace. I'll let you know if I need you to do anything for me." I assured him with a smile.  
The younger man smiled, happy to hear that he had pleased me. 20 minutes later after everyone finished eating, it was time for Yukie to open her gifts, which her family was very generous in giving her an abundance of. Not even I had that many gifts on my birthdays. Sitting down in a wooden chair, aunt Hiroe passed Yukie a pink present that was medium in size. ''This one is from Uncle Daizō. He had to fight at the mall to get it. It was the last one," Aunt Hiroe said, placing the gift on her lap. Yukie unwrapped the present and smiled. Inside was various Japanese K-pop artists CDs in a box, with some Vocaloid songs thrown in, too.

"Happy birthday, kiddo. I hope you like it."

"Oh, thank you, uncle Daizō. It's perfect." At that, Yukie placed the gift on the floor while Ace handed her his gift. It was an envelope, so it was obviously a birthday card. After she opened the envelope, 40 bucks fell out, while a hello kitty birthday card sand a cheerful song. "Aw, Ace. This is the first time you've ever given me a gift," Yukie said picking the money off the floor.

For once, Ace gave an awkward smile. "It was nothing. Besides, it's your special day, so I thought I'd at least do something for you," He casually replied back, picking at the dirt and grime on his nails.

Next up, Haruhi gave Yukie her gift, which was heavy and huge in size. Tearing off the wrapping paper, Yukie squealed excitingly. Inside was the latest PlayStation. ''Tada! I know you love video games, so I saved up and bought you a PlayStation. I was going to get you an Xbox One, but they were all sold out. Sorry," Haruhi giggled, throwing her arms around her cousin in a great big hug.

''Why are you apologizing? This is the best gift ever." Yukie asked hugging her back. Uncle Daizō gently took the game system from her and placed it on the table. Everyone else gave their gifts afterwards. The house was soon filled with video games, manga, art kits, clothing, candy, etc.

Louis decided he wanted to speak up, clearing his throat dramatically to get everyone's attention. "Yukie, before we wrap this up, 'Daniel wanted me to give you this. Please do hurry and take this, I'm not fond of holding it…" Louis ordered before placing the box on her lap.

Yukie raised her eyebrow at him, but shrugged it off and gently opened the box as if a poisonous viper would jump out and bite if she wasn't careful. As soon as the lid was removed, a very hyper and friendly black kitten jumped out the box and into her arms. ''Awww, she's perfect. Thank you, Daniel," Yukie said, happily hugging the kitten close to her heart.

I didn't want to kiss her in front of her family that probably would be awkward and a bit rude, so I gave her arm a gentle squeeze. ''Ayah, are you trying to give her bad luck? Why did you get her a black cat?" A female elderly guest asked. The family members around her tried to hush her, but she stood her ground.

Ugh, I hated the superstitious types. Using my seduction i strolled over and took her hand and mind. "Miss, I can assure you I'd never give your relative something that would cause her any harm. Just sit down and enjoy the rest of the party, okay?" I assured her.

The old woman was flattered. Falling for my vampiric charm, she sat down and said nothing else. Glad to see that there would be no more outbursts from the old woman, I returned back to my spot near Yukie as if nothing had ever happened. After that, the party went on until the guests were tired and urged to go home. I was surprised to see Louis still hanging around. He was busy talking to Yukie's aunt, who generously tipped him 90 bucks for helping with the party. After we cleaned up the place. He began to leave, but leaned forward to whisper in my ear. "Meet me at our hotel. We need to talk. I already alerted the baron of what happened today. He wants to see you in person."

I nodded okay, and he gave me somewhat of an odd smile before bidding us goodnight. At that, I closed the door. Unfortunately, aunt Hiroe was right behind me, causing me to jump. The middle-aged woman crossed her arms. ''Daniel, dear, where were you and Yukie today? You both promised to help set up for the party. You both weren't fooling around, were you? Don't lie to me, young man," she said narrowing her eyes.

(Ugh…. I don't have time for this,) I thought. A flood of excuses filled my mind, and I decided to lie a bit, but give her the partial truth. ''Louis and I left early to go buy that kitten for Yukie. I didn't want her to know about it, so I left her at a nice cafe while we ran out to go get her," I lied, hoping to God she'd just go upstairs and leave me alone, but nope, she stood her ground.

''You're one of them, aren't you?" She asked.

I stiffened. ''One of what, a filthy American?" I asked playing, dumb, but that just seemed to upset her more.

''Daniel, I know you're a vampire. I used to be a ghoul," She replied back.

If I was alive, my heart would have stopped. A part of me thought about holding her down and ripping her throat out, but once again, would it really be worth it? Plus, Yukie wouldn't forgive me. Sighing I looked her dead in the eyes. ''How did you know?" I asked. This time, I was genuinely curious.

"Isn't it obvious? Your fangs are poking out a bit, and don't forget that unnaturally golden eye Tint color you have," she replied casually.

''Hmmm…so you knew the entire time, but chose not to respond negatively. I'm surprised. Who was your master?" I asked.

''I can't remember his name after what happened. He tried to wipe my memories of the kindred society permanently, but as you can see, he failed," Hiroe said, locking the door and putting on the extra lock, which she must have installed today, because it wasn't there before. ''Now, I don't mind you being with my niece, but whatever you do, please don't hurt her," she added.

''I'd never hurt your niece. I'm not that type of guy," I promised.

''That isn't just physically young man. It's mentally and emotionally. My poor niece has been through enough especially with her last boyfriend. " The older woman reminded me.

All I could do was shake my head. She clearly was only trying to look out for her niece, and I respected that. ''I promise to take care of her. We're even planning to get married one day," I said, smoothing back my hair.

Aunt Hiroe looked at me very interested and relieved to hear that. ''Really? That's nice. I was just about to ask you about that. I don't want her to stay unwed forever. In that case, you have my blessing, but if you hurt her, you'll have an all too permanent stay in Japan, young man," Aunt Hiroe threatened. She heard someone come down the stairs and quickly looked me over once more before vanishing off into the kitchen.

''Daniel my boy you still down here? Yukie and her friends are upstairs watching a movie why don't you go join them?" Uncle Daizō said cheerfully, patting me on the shoulder.

''Oh yeah, okay. I'll be up with them soon. I was just helping aunt Hiroe in the kitchen. The dishes needed to be washed," I said. I know I've been lying up a storm lately, but hey. You have to do what you have to do on order to survive, especially as a vampire.

''That's great to hear, son. Now, run along. I've got to get to work. Something happened back at the lab, and they need my assistance with, ASAP!" The older man replied.

''Oh, man. I hope it's not nothing too serious," I replied.

''I'm sure it isn't, my boy, but enough talk. I'll see you kids tomorrow. Goodnight." Uncle Daizō then left swiftly, only returning again to grab the hat and coat he forgot on the rack.

Chuckling, I went upstairs, nearly falling from the cats chasing each other happily down the steps. Yukie's room door was slightly ajar, and the sound of girlish giggling was heard in the room. The girls must be giving each other a makeover or something. I shuddered at the memory of my female cousins using me as their personal Barbie doll because they either were bored, had no girl siblings of their own, thought it was funny to dress me up like a doll, or some other reason I wouldn't guess at in a thousand years. I absolutely hated spending time with them, but my mom made me because she thought it would bring us closer together. Oh, how wrong she was. I hate to admit, but because of my stupid cousins, I actually did learn how to put makeup on and apply it on others.

It was very useless talent for a man like myself, but at least, if I need some spare change, I could go into the cosmetology career. Hopefully, it'll never get to that point. I knocked on the door. The giggling ceased, and that right there was a sure sign the girls were up to no good, or my name wasn't Daniel. Peeking her head out the door, Haruhi made sure the coast was clear. ''Oh, it's just you. I thought you were aunt Hiroe," she slurred a bit, but then giggled. Her face was flushed a deep pink, and I smelled exotic booze on her breath.

''Haruhi, have you been drinking?" I asked. I obviously knew she had been, but I decided to just ask her anyway. I didn't want her to think I was scolding her. I was just hoping none of her friends or Yukie drank some themselves.

Haruhi was mischievous. It didn't take a rocket scientist to know that. ''No….." Haruhi murmured, giggling again and almost falling over. I caught her in my arms and dragged her into the room. Unfortunately, Haruhi had persuaded Yukie and her friend Adannaya to drink some, too. There was a half empty sake bottle on the floor with some glass cups. Even though they had drunk a lot, it wasn't lethal, but Yukie and Adannaya were out like a light. There was Chelsea, though, who was busy playing around with Haruhi's makeup.

''Well, it looks like you guys partied a little too hard," I said jokingly.

Chelsea swatched a pink blush on her arm, admiring the color. ''Well, they did, I didn't. I don't trust alcohol, so when they decided to drink… illegally, by the way!" Chelsea spat towards Haruhi, who I placed on a bed nearby. Haruhi giggled again, throwing her head back and letting out a loud snicker. Chelsea shook her head. ''Hey, Daniel. I'll take care of these two so you can go explore, or sleep, or whatever. I need to get rid of the evidence before aunt Hiroe has a fit," Chelsea said. Getting up, the young alchemist stretched her arms and legs and started to clean up the sake and cups.

I nodded and opened the door. ''Hey, when they come to, tell Yukie I'm out with the others. I need to talk to Isaac," I said.

Chelsea nodded in return. "Fine with me, but don't stay out too late, or the Demons will get you. My father says Japan has a history of mermaids," She said.

''Mermaids?" I asked.

''Yes, and some of them are mean. Very mean. I heard they sing to lure men to their deaths, but if you listen too long to their songs, you'll go deaf. He also told me that they are so ugly, sailors have killed themselves from seeing them, and that their taste for human blood is so immense that they even eat people just for fun," she added.

It was hard not to laugh. It really was. ''Chelsea, I assure you. Mermaids don't exist, sweetheart. Your dad was probably just trying to scare you away from the ocean," I replied back.

Chelsea looked back at me, appalled. ''You think they are a myth?" She asked, slightly offended, and that's when i heard footsteps coming up the stairs. Chelsea ignored me for the time being and scrambled around, throwing out the evidence. That was my cue to leave, so I bolted before Hiroe could get suspicious. Taking the spare house keys, I went out and locked the door behind me.

* An hour later *

After taking the bus to the hotel the baron, Louis, Vv, and Romero were, I asked to see Isaac Abrams and was politely led up to his hotel room. As I knocked on the door, Isaac quickly answered ''Daniel, my boy. It's nice to see you, Louis was just telling me about the incident earlier," he said, opening the door and letting me in. Louis wasn't here, but Vv was. I could hear her singing in the shower to some fancy song I've never heard of before. ''I'm afraid Romero and Louis aren't here right now. They went out for drinks." Isaac informed me. Pulling up a seat, the older Cainite sat down.

''Louis can drink human beverages?" I asked.

The older vampire shook his head no. ''Absolutely not, but he likes the way it smells. Have a seat young man I'm proud of you. Louis told me all about you and Kevin. I've alerted the prince and they are doing a thorough search of his apartment. It turns out you were right in your accusation of him. He was indeed Sabbat. We found a hitlist of very important kindred, including myself," he replied.

I whistled. ''I knew something was off with him. I'm just glad I caught him in the act before it was too late. Those Sabbat members are ruthless," I said.

Agreeing with what I was saying, Isaac took a pen and paper, jotted something down, and slid it over to me. It was a number of the Japanese prince of this city. ''The prince of this city would like to see you Daniel. It appears you are quite the popular guy now," he said with a light chuckle.

I groaned. "Do I have to?" I asked in a pleading voice.

''Yes, young man. We don't want any trouble from him, after all. I assure you it won't be too bad. Besides, when we get back, there is a money reward waiting for you from Prince William himself, so I'm certain that the cards are all in favor for you. there's nothing to be afraid of.

Now, off you go. Vv is getting out of the shower, and I don't want her to know you were here." At that, I quickly ran out. I didn't want to be anywhere near her. Plus, she has a strong dislike for Yukie. Who knows what she'd do if she smelled her on me again. After leaving the hotel, I had nothing else to do, so I decided to go back to the house and retire for the night, or at least try to.

Meanwhile

*On a plane to Japan *

*Sebastian Lacroix's p.o.v *

After having to see my hideous cousin's face again, I felt in a horrible mood. He was actually upset that I was alive! That bastard! I hope he rots in Hell. The only reason I'm on this stupid plane with his idiotic adoptive childe is because my great little cousin is in danger, and I need the money. I was so in need for money I ghouled a stripper and stole a wad of cash out of her purse. Now, I don't feel bad. She brought this on herself. I just hope she doesn't figure out it was me and alert the police. Looking over, I turned to Homando he was busy reading a strange book in a language that was so ancient, no one or their mother spoke it. Deciding to try and ease the tension, I cleared my throat to get his attention. ''So, how long have you known my cousin?" I asked.

He shrugged. "A very long time to someone like you," he answered back. not taking his eyes off the book, "but to me, it has been but a brief moment."

"Someone like me?" I asked, already starting to lose my patience. "Don't you know who I am?!"

Homando nodded. "Oh, I know," he said quietly in his irritatingly easygoing voice, "and I know that compared to me, you have barely lived the years of an infant. I may not look it, but I have lived a thousand years. I saw Jesus himself," he added.

I was immediately interested. "What was he like?" I asked.

"If you think I'm laidback," Homando said, looking at me, "you don't know what Jesus was like. I never once saw him angry. He was always at peace, no matter whether people were praising him or scolding him. He was very perceptive, too."

"How so?" I asked. I hated to admit it, but I was quickly becoming fascinated with this line of dialogue. Then again, how often does one speak to someone from a completely different time period?

"I was on the outskirts of Nazareth, once, and I met the man face to face," Homando began. "He looked me in the eye, and for a moment, it felt like his gaze went right through me." He sighed, and continued. "Somehow, I knew that he knew who and what I truly was. He told me, 'There is room for everyone in my father's kingdom. He invites everyone, whether he is Jew or Gentile, free or slave, man or woman. All you need do is accept the invitation.' I accepted his invitation, and ever since then, I have wandered this world knowing that there will never be another person like him ever again."

"You're sure about that?" I asked. "You seem like a good guy. Annoyingly laidback, but better than most people my cousin keeps around him."

Homando gave a quiet chuckle, as if he knew something I didn't. "Oh, believe you me. He is a good man, and I am not. That is all I will say on the subject," he said. With that, he returned to his book, being as annoyingly laidback as one could be. How my cousin dealt with him, I'll never know.

Meanwhile

*Maria's p.o.v*

Waking up, I groaned. I felt wet and a bit slimy. When I came to, I realized I was in a cave. It was wet, and water was dripping off the cave's ceilings. I felt something or someone stroking my hair, and it reminded me of when I was a child back in France. My mother use to play in my hair and sing to me when she was alive. Now, this would have been comforting if it wasn't a strange woman singing something I've never heard before in my life. That's when I looked up and saw her. She was magnificent. I couldn't believe it. A real Mermaid. At first, I thought I was hallucinating, but she was real. She was a long black-haired half-koi, half-Japanese woman with shiny brown eyes, and scales decorated her face. Her gills moved rhythmically, and upon seeing me awake, she smiled. Crawling away, she jumped, disappearing into the water below. Suddenly, they appeared, more mermaids even more beautiful than she was. I just hoped they were friendly.

To be continued.….

Edited by Darkest Nightmare's Dread

**Author's Note:**

> Hey Everyone it's me uncanny Princess thank you for taking the time to read this story i really appreciate it. 
> 
> Now I'm not the best writer but i try and if you see anything wrong or that needs explaining feel free to message me. :)


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